Final answer:
Impulse is the change in momentum due to a force applied over time, and in the context of throwing and catching a ball, impulse occurs when there is a change in velocity. The greatest impulse occurs when you catch a ball and immediately throw it back, followed by only catching or only throwing the ball, and the least is when you start to throw but don’t release the ball.
Step-by-step explanation:
When considering the scenarios described regarding throwing and catching a ball, it is essential to understand the concept of impulse, which is the change in momentum as a result of a force applied over a period of time. The impulse experienced by a person in these situations is related to the change in velocity and mass of the ball.
For instance, when you throw a ball horizontally, you apply a force to it over a period of time, imparting an impulse to the ball. If the ball is thrown back to you at the same speed and you catch it, you would experience an impulse as you bring the ball to rest. Catching the ball and immediately throwing it back involves two impulses: one while catching (stopping) the ball, and another while throwing (accelerating) the ball again. If you start to throw the ball but do not let go, no outside impulse is communicated to the ball, since it does not change its velocity.
Ranking the scenarios from greatest to least total impulse would be: (a) Catching the ball and immediately throwing it back, (b) Catching the ball, (c) Throwing the ball, and (d) Starting to throw the ball but not letting go. This ranking is based on the assumption that the greatest impulse will occur when there is the greatest change in velocity (which occurs twice when catching and then throwing), followed by a single change in velocity (catching or throwing), and then no change in velocity (not releasing the ball).