Question

Steven is trying out for the position of pitcher on the baseball team. Which statement is an inaccurate explanation?

A. If Steven's throwing force is constant and the ball's mass increases, the rate of acceleration will be less.
B. Steven must throw the new ball with more force in order for it to achieve the same speed as previous throws.
C. The difference in the mass is not significant and will not affect the force needed to throw the ball 85 mph.
D. Since force equals mass times acceleration, Steven's throwing force must increase to throw the ball at 85 mph.

Answer 1

The statement that is an inaccurate explanation is option C. Mass does affect the force needed to throw the ball 85 mph.

Step-by-step explanation:

The correct statement is option C, which is an inaccurate explanation. According to Newton's second law of motion, force equals mass times acceleration (F=ma). Therefore, if the mass of the ball increases but the throwing force is constant, the rate of acceleration will actually be greater (not less) because mass and acceleration are inversely proportional. This can be demonstrated with a simple example. If Steven throws a tennis ball and a baseball with the same force, the tennis ball will accelerate more due to its lower mass compared to the baseball.

Therefore, option C is incorrect as it suggests that the difference in mass does not affect the force needed to throw the ball 85 mph, when in fact it does affect the force required.