Final answer:
A heavier athlete requires a greater force and torque to be thrown off balance or knocked out of position due to their greater mass and the associated increase in inertia.
Step-by-step explanation:
The correct answer to the question 'The heavier an athlete, the ________ force (and torque) it takes to throw them off balance and knock them out of position' is 'a. More'. A heavier athlete has more mass, and according to Newton's second law of motion, a greater force is required to produce the same change in motion (acceleration) for a more massive object than for a less massive one. It's not just the force but also the torque that plays a significant role. Torque is the measure of the force that can cause an object to rotate about an axis. Heavier athletes have a higher momentum due to their larger mass. According to the principle of conservation of momentum, a greater opposing force is required to change the momentum of a heavier athlete.
In the context of the misconception that 'heavier things fall faster than light things because they have less surface area and greater mass density,' it's crucial to note that all objects fall at the same rate in the absence of air resistance, a fact first proven by Galileo. However, when it comes to resisting external forces in sports, larger mass typically means greater inertia, and thus, a higher force is needed to cause the same change in motion.