Question

Shot put is a track-and-field event in which athletes propel a metal shot, or ball, by pushing it away from their shoulder. In junior events, shots of different sizes are used for different categories of competitors.
The shot masses and forces applied for four competitors are shown. Which shot will have the greatest acceleration?

Answer 1

To determine which shot will have the greatest acceleration, we can use Newton's second law of motion, which states that acceleration (a) is equal to the net force (F) applied divided by the mass (m) of the object:

\[
a = \frac{F}{m}
\]

From this formula, we can see that for a given force, a smaller mass will result in greater acceleration.

To find which shot will have the greatest acceleration, we need to compare the ratios of force to mass for each competitor. First, gather the values for the force applied and the mass of each shot used by the competitors. Then, calculate the acceleration for each competitor using the formula above.

Without the specific values of forces and shot masses for the four competitors, I cannot perform the calculations directly, but you can follow these steps to determine which shot will have the greatest acceleration:

1. List the force and mass for each competitor.
2. Calculate the acceleration using \( a = \frac{F}{m} \) for each competitor.
3. Compare the calculated accelerations.

The competitor with the highest calculated acceleration will be the one that achieves the greatest acceleration with their shot.