A student claims that hitting a tennis ball across the court is an example of balanced forces. Is he correct?
No, because the force in the direction of the ball’s motion is greater.
Yes, because the force in the direction of the ball’s motion is greater.
Yes, because equal forces act on the ball from all sides.
No, because equal forces act on the ball from all sides.
The correct answer is: No, because the force in the direction of the ball’s motion is greater.
When hitting a tennis ball across the court, there is an unbalanced force exerted by the racket on the ball. The force applied by the racket is larger than the forces acting in the opposite direction, such as air resistance and friction. This creates a net force in the direction of the ball's motion, causing it to accelerate. Hence, it is not an example of balanced forces.
No, because the force in the direction of the ball’s motion is greater.
The correct answer is: No, because the force in the direction of the ball’s motion is greater.
To understand why, let's first define balanced and unbalanced forces. Balanced forces occur when the net force on an object is zero, meaning that all forces acting on the object are equal and opposite, canceling each other out. Unbalanced forces, on the other hand, result in a net force that causes an object to accelerate in a particular direction.
In the case of hitting a tennis ball across the court, there are two main forces at play: the force exerted by the player's racket on the ball and the force of air resistance. When the player hits the ball, they apply a force in the direction they want the ball to move. This force is greater than the air resistance acting on the ball, which opposes the ball's motion.
Since the forces are not equal and opposite, they are unbalanced. As a result, the ball accelerates in the direction of the net force, which is the same as the direction of the player'. Therefore, the student's claim that hitting a tennis ball across the court is an example of balanced forces is incorrect.