Question

How do Newton’s laws of motion explain why it is important to keep the ice smooth on a hockey rink so that players can pass a puck as quickly as possible?

Smooth ice reduces the inertia of the hockey puck.
Smooth ice increases the force used to accelerate the hockey puck.
Smooth ice reduces the unbalanced forces that would slow the hockey puck.
Smooth ice decreases the reaction force that the ice exerts on the hockey puck.

Answers

GPT-4o mini
To understand why keeping the ice smooth on a hockey rink is important for quick puck movement, we can refer to Newton's laws of motion, particularly the first and second laws.

1. **Newton's First Law (Inertia)** states that an object at rest will stay at rest, and an object in motion will stay in motion unless acted upon by an unbalanced force. If the ice is smooth, there are fewer unbalanced forces acting on the puck (like friction), which means the puck can continue moving in a straight line at a constant speed once it is hit or passed.

2. **Newton's Second Law (F=ma)** relates the acceleration of an object to the net force acting on it and its mass. In this case, a smoother surface means that less force is required to overcome friction and keep the puck moving. This allows players to pass the puck more quickly because less effort is needed to keep it in motion.

Therefore, the best explanation is:

**Smooth ice reduces the unbalanced forces that would slow the hockey puck.**

By minimizing these forces (primarily friction), the puck can slide more freely and reach its destination faster, facilitating quicker gameplay.