Question

Imagine that I have a ping-pong ball and a bowling ball resting on the floor of our classroom. I go up to the bowling ball and give it a push so that it starts rolling. If I give a push of the exact same strength to the ping-pong ball, how will the resulting motion of the ping-pong ball be different

Answer 1

the speed and aceleration of the ping pong ball is greater than that of the bowling ball.

Step-by-step explanation:

We can analyze this exercise from several points of view, if we use Newton's second law

Bowling ball

F = M a₁

pingpongg ball

F = m a₂

as the forces the same

M a₁ = m a₂

a₂ =
`(M)/(m)` a₁

Since the mass of the bowling ball is much greater than the ping pong ball,

a₂ »a₁

so the acceleration of the ping pong ball is much greater than the acceleration of the bowling ball.

If we use the relationship of momentum and momentum, assuming that the time for the two cases is the same and that both start from rest

Bowling ball

I = F t = Δp

I = M (v₁ - v₀)

Ping pong ball

I = F t = Δp

I = m (v₂ -v₀)

the impulse itself

M v₁ = m v₂

v₂ =
`(M )/( m)` v₁

so we conclude that the speed of the ping pong ball is much greater than the speed of the bowling ball.

In conclusion the speed and aceleration of the ping pong ball is greater than that of the bowling ball.