Question

1. miniature golf is a game in which players hit a golf ball with a club, which causes the ball to roll along the flat ground. three golf balls with the same mass were rolling on the ground. each ball was hit by a golf club, but not from the same direction. all the golf balls changed speed as a result of being hit. use the information in the diagram to answer. which golf ball(s) experienced the strongest force when hit? how do you know? a the white and purple golf balls because they gained force, while the green golf ball lost force. b the green golf ball because it takes a stronger force to slow something down than to speed something up. c the green golf ball because it changed speed the most. d the white golf ball because it has the fastest ending speed.

Explanation:

Step1: Recall Newton's second - law

According to Newton's second law $F = ma$, where $F$ is force, $m$ is mass and $a$ is acceleration. Acceleration is the rate of change of velocity. When mass is constant, a larger change in speed (velocity magnitude) in the same time interval implies a larger acceleration.

Step2: Analyze each option

• Option A: Force is not about gaining or losing in this context. It's about the change in motion, so this is incorrect.
• Option B: There is no general rule that it takes a stronger force to slow something down than speed it up. It depends on the change in speed and mass, so this is incorrect.
• Option C: Since the mass of all balls is the same, the ball with the largest change in speed experiences the largest acceleration and thus the strongest force. This is correct.
• Option D: Ending speed alone does not determine the force. It's the change in speed that matters, so this is incorrect.

Answer:

C. The green golf ball because it changed speed the most.