Chris tells Jordan that the nerf dart traveling at 20 mph did not really hurt, so a softball thrown at him at 20 mph also will not hurt. Which of Newton’s laws proves that Chris’ statement is not true? Why?
1 answer
Newton's Second Law of Motion, which states that force equals mass times acceleration, proves that Chris' statement is not entirely true. While the speed of both the nerf dart and the softball may be the same, the mass of the softball is significantly greater than that of the nerf dart. Therefore, the force applied by the softball when it hits Jordan will be much greater than the force applied by the nerf dart, causing more pain or discomfort.