Two students perform an experiment with soccer balls. They kick two soccer balls so that theycollide. They measure the total momentum of the two soccer balls before and after the collision.Which statement explains why the total momentum of the soccer balls before and after thecollision may not be the same?

Question

(1 point)
The system has external forces, such as friction and air resistance, acting on it.
The soccer balls exert forces on each other when they collide.
The soccer balls each have a different momentum after the collision than before the collision.
The system does not have any external forces.

Answer 1

The correct statement explaining why the total momentum of the soccer balls before and after the collision may not be the same is:

The system has external forces, such as friction and air resistance, acting on it.

In an isolated system with no external forces acting on it, the total momentum before a collision would equal the total momentum after the collision. However, in real-world conditions, external forces like friction and air resistance can influence the momentum measurements, causing them to differ before and after the collision.