A Tennis Player and Newton's Third Law of Motion
The Tennis Player Scenario
A tennis player used a tennis racket to hit a tennis ball with a mass of 0.25 kg with a force of 5.25 Newtons. When the tennis player hits the ball, two forces are involved: the force of the racket on the ball and the force of the ball on the racket. These forces are governed by Newton's Third Law of Motion.
Understanding Newton's Third Law of Motion
Newton's Third Law of Motion states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. This means that if object A exerts a force on object B, then object B exerts the same magnitude of force on object A, but in the opposite direction.
Comparing the Forces
How does the force the tennis racket exerted on the tennis ball compare with the force the tennis ball exerted on the tennis racket?
The force of the tennis racket on the tennis ball is equal in magnitude and opposite in direction to the force the tennis ball exerted on the tennis racket.
How does the force the tennis racket exerted on the tennis ball compare with the force the tennis ball exerted on the tennis racket?
According to Newton's Third Law of Motion, the force exerted by the tennis racket on the tennis ball is equal in magnitude and opposite in direction to the force the tennis ball exerts on the tennis racket. The correct answer to this question is option A. This is according to Newton's Third Law of Motion, which states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. Therefore, the force exerted by the tennis racket on the tennis ball will be equal in magnitude but opposite in direction to the force the tennis ball exerts on the tennis racket. Given that your question provides a force of 5.25 Newtons exerted by the racket on the ball, this implies that the ball also exerts a force of 5.25 Newtons on the racket, but in the opposite direction.