Question

1. miniature golf is a game in which players hit a golf ball with a club. this causes the ball to roll along the flat ground. there were three golf balls rolling on the ground. the yellow golf ball has less mass than the blue and white balls, which have equal mass. each ball was hit by a golf club, but not from the same direction. use the information in the diagram to answer. which golf ball(s) experienced the strongest force? how do you know? a the blue golf ball; it has more mass and the fastest ending speed. b all three golf balls experienced the same force because they changed speed by the same amount. c the blue and white golf balls; they have more mass than the yellow golf ball, but changed speed by the same amount. d the white golf ball; it takes a stronger force to slow down a more massive object than to speed it up.

Explanation:

According to Newton's second law \(F = ma\) (where \(F\) is force, \(m\) is mass, and \(a\) is acceleration). If the acceleration (\(a=\frac{\Delta v}{\Delta t}\), change in velocity over change in time) is the same for different objects, the force is directly proportional to the mass. The blue and white balls have more mass than the yellow ball. If they changed speed (had the same acceleration, assuming \(\Delta t\) is the same for the force - application process) by the same amount, then \(F\propto m\). So, the blue and white balls (with larger \(m\)) experience a stronger force.

• Option a: Just considering mass and ending speed is incorrect. Force is related to mass and acceleration (change in velocity, not just ending speed).
• Option b: Force depends on mass and acceleration. Since masses are different (\(m_{yellow}
• Option d: There is no information about speeding - up or slowing - down in a comparative sense (for white ball vs others in terms of force direction for speeding/slowing) in the problem statement related to force magnitude.

Answer:

C. The blue and white golf balls; they have more mass than the yellow golf ball, but changed speed by the same amount.