Two students perform an experiment with soccer balls. They kick two soccer balls so that they collide. 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 the collision may not be the same?(1 point)

Question

Two students perform an experiment with soccer balls. They kick two soccer balls so that they collide. 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 the collision may not be the same?(1 point)
Responses

The soccer balls each have a different momentum after the collision than before the collision.
The soccer balls each have a different momentum after the collision than before the collision.

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

The system does not have any external forces.
The system does not have any external forces.

The soccer balls exert forces on each other when they collide.

GPT-4o mini · Answer

The best explanation for 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 ideal isolated system with no external forces, the total momentum would be conserved. However, in real-world scenarios, factors like friction with the ground and air resistance can affect the momentum of the objects, leading to discrepancies in the measured total momentum before and after the collision.