Question

forces unit 1 test review a pitcher throws a ball towards a player holding a softball bat. the player swings the bat & hits the ball. which statement correctly describes the reaction force? a. the reaction force is the force the ball exerts on the bat to stop the swing of the bat. b. the reaction force is the force applied to the bat by the player swinging the bat. c. the reaction force is the force a bat exerts on the ball by the bat hitting the ball. d. the reaction force is the force on the ball by the bat.

Explanation:

To solve this, we analyze each option based on the concept of a ball bouncing off a wall (a common physics scenario, likely related to forces and motion, specifically the normal force and Newton's third law or the nature of contact forces):

• Option A: If the function (force) causes the ball to move towards the wall, that would be the force pushing the ball to the wall (like a throw), not the force from the wall during the bounce. Eliminate A.
• Option B: The force applied by the player is the force that initiates the ball’s motion toward the wall. The question asks about the force from the wall during the bounce. Eliminate B.
• Option C: When a ball bounces off a wall, the wall exerts a force on the ball that changes the ball’s direction (stops its motion toward the wall and pushes it back). This matches the description of a force that acts on the ball during the bounce to reverse its direction.
• Option D: A force “on the wall for the time” is not the focus here—the question is about the force on the ball during the bounce. Eliminate D.

Answer:

C. This reaction force is the force on the ball during the bouncing.