Question

Despite a very strong wind, a tennis player

manages to hit a tennis ball with her racquet
so that the ball passes over the net and lands
in her opponents court.
Consider the following forces:
1 - A downward force of gravity.
2 - A force by the "hit".
3 - A force exerted by the air.
Which of the above forces is (are) acting on
the tennis ball after it has left contact with
the racquet and before it touches the ground?
1. 2 and 3
2. 1 only
3. 1, 2 and 3
4. 1 and 2
5. 1 and 3

Answer 1

Option 5. 1 and 3

Solution:

The only forces acting on the tennis ball after it has left contact with the racquet and the instant before it touches the ground are the force of gravity in the downward direction and the force by the air exerted on the ball.

The ball after it left follows the path of trajectory and as it moves forward in the horizontal direction the force of the air acts on it.

In the whole projectile motion of the ball, the acceleration due to gravity acts on the ball thus the force of gravity acts on the ball in the downward direction before it hits the ground.