A tennis ball is flying horizontally across the net. Air resistance is not negligible. Identify the forces on the ball
Well...if you said air resistance is not negligible, then it has to be one of those forces...
Anyway...heres my list:
- air resistance
- gravity
(These are only when its in air, if its not you could say the tennis racket when it got hit or the ground/court when it hits the ground)
To identify the forces acting on a tennis ball flying horizontally across the net, we need to consider the two main forces involved: gravity and air resistance.
1. Gravity: Gravity is the force that pulls objects toward the Earth's center. It acts vertically downward, regardless of the motion of the ball. In this case, the force of gravity pulls the tennis ball downward but does not affect its horizontal motion.
2. Air Resistance: Air resistance, also known as drag, is the force exerted by the air on the ball as it moves through the air. When the ball is moving horizontally, air resistance acts in the opposite direction to the motion, which is horizontally backward. Air resistance depends on factors such as the speed of the ball, the size and shape of the ball, and the density and viscosity of the air.
So, in summary:
- Gravity acts vertically downward.
- Air resistance acts horizontally backward.
Note: If the ball is spinning, there will be an additional force called the Magnus effect that affects the trajectory of the ball. However, in this specific scenario where the ball is moving horizontally across the net, the Magnus effect may not be significant.