Question

A baseball with a mass of 150 grams traveling at a speed of 40 m/s is hit by a baseball bat with a mass of 1000 grams travelling at a speed of 35 m/s. Which of the following best explains the forces that act on the bat and the ball at the moment the bat hits the ball?
A.
The force on the bat is greater than the force on the ball because the bat has a larger mass.

B.
The force on the ball is greater than the force on the bat because the ball is moving at a greater velocity.

C.
The forces on the bat and ball are equal to each other but in opposite directions.

D.
The forces on the bat and the ball are equal to each other but the bat will accelerate more as it has a greater mass.

Answer 1

The correct answer is:

**C. The forces on the bat and ball are equal to each other but in opposite directions.**

According to Newton's Third Law of Motion, for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. This means that when the bat hits the ball, the force exerted by the bat on the ball is equal in magnitude but opposite in direction to the force exerted by the ball on the bat. Therefore, both forces are equal, regardless of the masses or velocities of the bat and ball.