Final answer:
The magnitude of the average force exerted on the tennis ball by the racket is equal to the magnitude of the force exerted by the tennis ball on the racket, adhering to Newton's third law of motion. Gravity's influence is independent of the forces exchanged between the ball and racket during impact. Momentum conservation or F = ma can be used to facilitate calculations involving forces.
Step-by-step explanation:
The magnitude of the average force exerted by the ball on the racket is equal to the magnitude of the average force exerted by the racket on the ball. This is in accordance with Newton's third law of motion, which states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. Even if a tennis player like Venus Williams strikes the ball with the racket, resulting in a significant force during impact, the ball exerts an equal and opposite force back on the racket.
Considering gravity, the force of gravity (0.56-N for the tennis ball) does not influence the average force exerted by the racket as it is not due to the racket itself. When calculating the average force using the formula Fnet = ma, where acceleration is derived from the change in velocity over time, gravity would affect the net force acting on the ball but not the force interaction between the ball and the racket.
In solving problems related to force, it is often useful to use the relation F = ma or to consider conservation of momentum for more straightforward calculations, as in the case of Venus Williams' racquet impacting the tennis ball.