Question

soccer balls were rolling across the field. the black soccer ball has less mass than the blue and orange balls, which have equal mass. all three soccer balls were kicked by one of the friends, but not all from the same direction. use the information in the diagram to answer. which soccer ball(s) experienced the strongest force? how do you know? all three soccer balls experienced the same force because they changed speed by the same amount. the orange soccer ball, it has more mass and the fastest ending speed. the blue soccer ball. it takes a stronger force to slow down a more massive object than to speed it up.

Explanation:

Step1: Recall Newton's second - law

Force $F = ma$, where $m$ is mass and $a$ is acceleration. Acceleration $a=\frac{v_f - v_i}{t}$. Since the time of the force application is not given and assumed to be the same for all balls, we can compare forces by looking at the change in momentum ($\Delta p=m\Delta v$) as $F=\frac{\Delta p}{\Delta t}$.

Step2: Calculate the change in speed for each ball

For the black ball: $\Delta v_{black}=21 - 7=14$ m/s. For the blue ball: $\Delta v_{blue}=14 - 28=- 14$ m/s. For the orange ball: $\Delta v_{orange}=29 - 15 = 14$ m/s. The magnitudes of the change in speed are the same for all balls.

Step3: Compare the masses

The black ball has a mass of $25$ kg, the blue ball has a mass of $42$ kg, and the orange ball has a mass of $42$ kg. The blue and orange balls have more mass than the black ball.

Step4: Determine the force

Since $F = ma$ and the change in speed (and thus acceleration magnitude assuming same time) is the same, the ball with the largest mass will experience the largest force. The blue and orange balls have the same mass and a larger mass than the black ball. When the blue ball is slowed down, according to $F = ma$, a larger - mass object requires a stronger force to change its motion.

Answer:

The blue soccer ball. It takes a stronger force to slow down a more massive object than to speed it up, and among the balls, the blue (and orange with equal mass) has more mass than the black ball, and the blue ball is being slowed down while the others are being sped up.