Final answer:
Both the lump of clay and rubber ball of the same mass and thrown at the same speed will experience the same change in momentum when they hit a wall, as momentum is the product of mass and velocity, and both their initial momenta are the same and final momenta are zero. Option c
Step-by-step explanation:
Considering a lump of clay and a rubber ball of identical mass thrown with the same speed toward a wall, they will experience the same change in momentum when they hit the wall. Momentum is defined as the product of mass and velocity, and since both the mass and the initial speed are the same for the clay and the ball, their initial momenta are identical.
When the objects collide with the wall, they both come to a stop (assuming the clay sticks to the wall and the ball bounces back with no speed). This means that both objects have a final momentum of zero.
Since they start with the same momentum and finish with none, they both undergo the same change in momentum. The change in momentum, or impulse, for each object is equal to its mass multiplied by the change in velocity, which is the initial velocity for both since their final velocity is zero.
The direction of momentum change is opposite, but the magnitude of the change is the same, thus the correct answer is c. The clay and the ball experience the same change in momentum. Option c