Question

A pitcher throws a softball toward home plate with an acceleration of 40 meters/second squared. If the mass of the softball is 0.2 kg, what is the force of the throw?

a) 4 N
b) 8 N
c) 12 N
d) 16 N

Answer 1

Using Newton's second law, the force of the throw is calculated by multiplying the mass of the softball (0.2 kg) by the given acceleration (40 m/s²), resulting in a force of 8 N.

Step-by-step explanation:

To calculate the force of the throw by the pitcher, we use Newton's second law, which states that the force is equal to the mass multiplied by the acceleration (F = ma). In this case, the mass of the softball is 0.2 kg and the acceleration is 40 meters/second squared. Therefore, the force is calculated as:

F = m * a

F = 0.2 kg * 40 m/s2

F = 8 N

So the correct answer is b) 8 N.