Final answer:
The force on the golf ball is determined by multiplying its mass by the given acceleration, according to Newton's second law of motion (F=m×a). Without the mass of the golf ball, we cannot calculate the force. Assuming a standard golf ball mass, example calculation shows how to find the force if the mass were known.
Step-by-step explanation:
Understanding Force and Acceleration in Physics
To calculate the force on the golf ball, we need to apply Newton's second law of motion, which states that the force (F) acting on an object equals its mass (m) multiplied by its acceleration (a). The formula is expressed as F = m × a.
However, the question does not provide the mass of the golf ball, hence we cannot calculate the force without this information. In a typical scenario where we do have the mass of the object, we would simply multiply the mass by the given acceleration to find the force.
For instance, if the golf ball had a mass of 0.045 kg (45 grams, which is a standard mass for a golf ball), and the acceleration is 20 m/s², the force would be calculated as:
F = 0.045 kg × 20 m/s²
F = 0.9 N (Newtons)
The direction of the force would be in the direction of the acceleration, which, in this case, is the direction the ball is moving after being hit.