Question

Give scientific reasons.
It is easier to stop a tennis ball as compared to a cricket ball when both are travelling with the same velocity.

Answer 1

The momentum of a body is the product of its mass and velocity i.e.
`p = mv`
and the rate of change of momentum of a body is equal to the force applied i.e.
`F = (m(v -u))/t`
In the given information, both the balls move with the same velocity and finally stops, thus force applied to stop the ball will be directly proportional to the mass of the ball.
F ∝ m
As the mass of the cricket ball is greater than the tennis ball, its momentum will be more than the tennis ball. Thus, a greater force will be required to stop the cricket ball as compared to that of a tennis ball.