A bouncy rubber ball and a squishy mud ball were thrown at a wall. The mud ball stuck, and the rubber ball bounced back off. Which transferred more momentum to the wall (i.e., which experienced the largest change in momentum)? The balls have identical velocities.

Answer 1

mass (which is not discussed) is a factor

the rubber ball returns from the wall with momentum in the direction opposite its approach

the change (reversal) in momentum means that a larger momentum was transferred to the wall than if the ball had stuck