Two metal balls with the same mass hang so that they are touching each other. The ball on the left is pulled to the side and released. What will happen when it swings back and hits the ball on the right?(1 point)

Question

Responses

The ball on the right will swing to the right.
The ball on the right will swing to the right.

Both balls will swing to the right.
Both balls will swing to the right.

Both balls will swing to the left.
Both balls will swing to the left.

The ball on the left will stop, and the ball on the right will remain still.
The ball on the left will stop, and the ball on the right will remain still.

Answer 1

When the ball on the left is pulled to the side and released, it swings back due to gravity and will collide with the ball on the right. Since both balls have the same mass and are in a situation akin to a perfectly elastic collision (assuming no energy loss), the first ball (the one on the left) will transfer its momentum to the second ball (the one on the right).

As a result, the ball on the left will stop after the collision, and the ball on the right will swing to the right. Therefore, the correct response is:

The ball on the right will swing to the right.