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Multiple Choice Question

A student is performing an investigation. She applies the same amount of force to a soccer ball and a volleyball and observes their acceleration. She records her data in the table.

Ball Mass (kilograms) Force (newtons) Acceleration (meters/second2)
soccer ball 0.45 50 111
volleyball 0.28 50 178

The student claims that a bowling ball with a mass of 0.5 kg will accelerate faster than the volleyball and the soccer ball. Which statement best evaluates the student's claim?

A.
The student's claim is correct because acceleration decreases as mass increases.

B.
The student's claim is correct because acceleration increases as mass increases.

C.
The student's claim is incorrect because acceleration decreases as mass increases.

D.
The student's claim is incorrect because acceleration increases as mass increases.

1 answer

To evaluate the student's claim regarding the acceleration of a bowling ball with a mass of 0.5 kg compared to the soccer ball and volleyball, we can apply Newton's Second Law of Motion, which states that acceleration is directly proportional to force and inversely proportional to mass (F = ma).

First, let's analyze the given data:

  1. Soccer Ball

    • Mass = 0.45 kg
    • Force = 50 N
    • Acceleration = 111 m/s²

  2. Volleyball

    • Mass = 0.28 kg
    • Force = 50 N
    • Acceleration = 178 m/s²

According to the formula \( a = \frac{F}{m} \):

For the bowling ball with a mass of 0.5 kg:

  • If we apply the same force of 50 N: \[ a = \frac{50 , \text{N}}{0.5 , \text{kg}} = 100 , \text{m/s}^2 \]

Now, comparing the accelerations:

  • Soccer ball acceleration = 111 m/s²
  • Volleyball acceleration = 178 m/s²
  • Bowling ball acceleration = 100 m/s²

The bowling ball's acceleration of 100 m/s² is less than both the soccer ball (111 m/s²) and the volleyball (178 m/s²).

Therefore, the student's claim that the bowling ball with a mass of 0.5 kg will accelerate faster than both the soccer ball and volleyball is incorrect.

So, the best statement that evaluates the student's claim is:

C. The student's claim is incorrect because acceleration decreases as mass increases.