Blake and Drew are playing horseshoes. Blake takes the first turn, and his horseshoe lands three-fourths of the way to the target. Drew takes the next turn, and his horseshoe lands past the target. Which statement best explains the results?

Question

1. The horseshoes have the same mass, but Drew threw with less force than Blake.
2. Drew used a horseshoe with more mass and threw with the same force as Blake.
3. The horseshoes have the same mass, but Drew threw with more force than Blake.
4. Drew used a horseshoe with more mass and threw with less force than Blake.

Answer 1

The best statement that explains the results is:

3. The horseshoes have the same mass, but Drew threw with more force than Blake.

This conclusion is drawn from the fact that Drew's horseshoe landed past the target, indicating that he generated more force in his throw compared to Blake, whose horseshoe only landed three-fourths of the way to the target. The mass of the horseshoes is not a factor because they are stated to be the same.