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A student pushes three different bowling balls in a bowling alley with the same amount of force. The student observes that the lightest ball has the greatest acceleration. Which statement is correct about the students observation?

The student observes a negative correlation between the mass and acceleration of the bowling balls
or the student observes a positive correlation between the mass and acceleration of the bowling ball
or the student observes a negative correlation between the force and acceleration of the bowling balls
the student observes a positive correlation between the force and the acceleration of the bowling balls

User TerryS
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1 Answer

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Final answer:

The student observes a negative correlation between mass and acceleration, as heavier objects accelerate less than lighter objects with the same force applied. In the experiment with the ball launched at an elevation, the vertical acceleration is constant and negative due to gravity.

The student observes a negative correlation between the mass and acceleration of the bowling balls, is correct.

Step-by-step explanation:

The correct statement about the student's observation is that the student observes a negative correlation between the mass and acceleration of the bowling balls. According to Newton's second law, acceleration is inversely proportional to mass when the same force is applied. Therefore, as the mass of the bowling balls decreases, their acceleration increases for the same applied force. This scientific concept indicates that heavier objects will accelerate less than lighter objects when the same amount of force is exerted on them.

Regarding the experiment where a ball is launched with an initial horizontal velocity at an elevation and follows a parabolic trajectory until it hits the ground, the graph of the ball's vertical acceleration versus time would be a negative value that does not change with time. This is because the only acceleration acting on the ball vertically is due to gravity, which is constant and acts downward.

User Viktor Kukurba
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