Shot put is a track-and-field event in which athletes propel a metal shot, or ball, by pushing it away from their shoulder. In junior events, shots of different sizes are used for different categories of competitors.

The shot masses and forces applied for four competitors are shown. Which shot will have the greatest acceleration?

(1 point)
Responses

6 kg and 30 N
6 kg and 30 N

4 kg and 40 N
4 kg and 40 N

5 kg and 30 N
5 kg and 30 N

5 kg and 40 N

1 answer

To determine which shot will have the greatest acceleration, we can use Newton's second law of motion, which states that \( F = ma \), where \( F \) is the force applied, \( m \) is the mass of the object, and \( a \) is the acceleration. Rearranging this gives us \( a = \frac{F}{m} \).

Now, we can calculate the acceleration for each competitor's shot using the provided masses and forces:

  1. 6 kg and 30 N: \[ a = \frac{30 , \text{N}}{6 , \text{kg}} = 5 , \text{m/s}^2 \]

  2. 4 kg and 40 N: \[ a = \frac{40 , \text{N}}{4 , \text{kg}} = 10 , \text{m/s}^2 \]

  3. 5 kg and 30 N: \[ a = \frac{30 , \text{N}}{5 , \text{kg}} = 6 , \text{m/s}^2 \]

  4. 5 kg and 40 N: \[ a = \frac{40 , \text{N}}{5 , \text{kg}} = 8 , \text{m/s}^2 \]

Now we compare the calculated accelerations:

  • 6 kg and 30 N: \( 5 , \text{m/s}^2 \)
  • 4 kg and 40 N: \( 10 , \text{m/s}^2 \)
  • 5 kg and 30 N: \( 6 , \text{m/s}^2 \)
  • 5 kg and 40 N: \( 8 , \text{m/s}^2 \)

From this comparison, we can see that the shot with a mass of 4 kg and a force of 40 N will have the greatest acceleration of 10 m/s².