A large metal ball is at rest, and a small rubber ball is moving at a high velocity. When they collide, the momentum of the small ball decreases. What happens to the momentum of the large metal ball?(1 point)

Question

Responses

it stayed the same.
it stayed the same.

it decreases.
it decreases.

it stayed at zero.
it stayed at zero.

it increases.

Answer 1

In a collision, the total momentum of the system (the large metal ball and the small rubber ball) is conserved, assuming no external forces are acting on it. Since the small rubber ball is moving and has momentum, and the large metal ball is initially at rest (thus has zero momentum), the total momentum before the collision is equal to the total momentum after the collision.

When the small rubber ball collides with the large metal ball and its momentum decreases, the momentum of the large metal ball must increase to conserve total momentum in the system. Therefore, while the small ball's momentum decreases, the large metal ball gains an equal amount of momentum.

The correct response would be:

it increases.