Question

A 10-gram rubber ball was launched at a wall several times. The speed of the ball was measured after it hit the wall and bounced off. The force that the ball applied to the wall was also measured. The table below shows the data collected during the investigation.

Force Investigation Data
Force on Wall Return Speed after Bounce
0.5 N 5 m/s
1.5 N 9 m/s
2.0 N 18 m/s

According to the data, what happens to the ball when it applies more force to the wall?
A.
The ball's return speed decreases because the balanced forces cancel each other out.
B.
The wall pushes back on the ball with more force, which causes the return speed of the ball to increase.
C.
The wall pushes back on the ball with less force, which causes the return speed of the ball to decrease.
D.
The ball's return speed increases because balanced forces cause motion.

Answer 1

B.

When the ball exerts more force on the wall, the wall exerts an equal and opposite larger force on the ball (Newton's 3rd law). That larger contact force produces a greater change in the ball's momentum (larger impulse), so the ball leaves with a higher return speed.