A baseball has a mass of 145 g. A pitcher throws the baseball so that it accelerates at a rate of 80 m/s2. How much force did the pitcher apply to the baseball?

Question

a. 1.8 N
b. 65 N
c. 11.6 N
d. 0.6 N

Answer 1

To calculate the force applied to the baseball, we can use Newton's second law of motion, which states that force (F) is equal to mass (m) times acceleration (a):

\[ F = m \times a \]

First, convert the mass from grams to kilograms:

\[ 145 \text{ g} = 0.145 \text{ kg} \]

Next, we can use the acceleration provided:

\[ a = 80 \text{ m/s}^2 \]

Now, substituting the values into the formula:

\[ F = 0.145 \text{ kg} \times 80 \text{ m/s}^2 \]

Calculating this gives:

\[ F = 11.6 \text{ N} \]

So the correct answer is:

c. 11.6 N