A hockey player hits the puck toward the net. Just after leaving his stick, the puck is traveling at 53 m/s. No other force acts on the hockey puck until it hits the net.
Just before hitting the net, how fast is the hockey puck traveling?
A.
slightly less than 53 m/s
B.
53 m/s
C.
slightly more than 53 m/s
D.
0 m/s
Since no other force acts on the puck until it hits the net, there is no force to decelerate or accelerate the puck. Therefore, its velocity will remain constant, meaning it will still be traveling at 53 m/s just before hitting the net.
Thus, the correct answer is B. 53 m/s.