Final answer:
In a football game, when a kicker attempts a field goal and the ball is kicked, it remains airborne. The ball follows a projectile motion trajectory influenced by gravity, air resistance, and friction. Understanding the physical principles of momentum, work, and energy is crucial for players' effectiveness on the field.
Step-by-step explanation:
When a kicker attempts a field goal in a football game and the ball is kicked, the ball remains B) Airborne. It is no longer stationary, it is no longer attached to the kicker's foot, and while it is in motion, the most accurate description is that it is airborne. Once the football is kicked, gravity, air resistance, and friction become the primary forces acting upon it.
Diving deeper into the concepts applied during the kick, when the ball is kicked at a 45° angle to the horizontal, it follows a projectile motion trajectory, which is a common example in physics when discussing momentum, force, and energy. The football will have an initial kinetic energy based on the speed and direction it's kicked.
Coaches often instruct football players to block and tackle with their feet on the ground, leveraging principles of momentum, work, and energy for effectiveness. A smaller force can impart the same momentum to an object as a larger force if it is applied over a longer time period. These principles are fundamental to understanding the dynamics of the game.