A 0.12-kg ball traveling with a speed of 40 m/s is brought to rest in a catcher's mitt. What is the size of the impulse exerted by the mitt on the ball?
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To find the impulse exerted by the mitt on the ball, we can use the impulse-momentum principle, which states that the impulse equals the change in momentum of an object.
The impulse is given by the formula:
Impulse = Δp = m * Δv
where:
m = mass of the ball
Δv = change in velocity of the ball
In this case, the mass of the ball is 0.12 kg and the initial velocity is 40 m/s (since the ball comes to rest).
To find the change in velocity, we can subtract the initial velocity from the final velocity:
Δv = 0 m/s - 40 m/s = -40 m/s
Note that the final velocity is 0 m/s since the ball comes to rest.
Now we can calculate the impulse:
Impulse = 0.12 kg * (-40 m/s) = -4.8 kg·m/s
The negative sign indicates that the impulse is in the opposite direction to the initial motion of the ball.