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Two friends on roller-skates are standing 5 m apart facing each other. One of them throws a ball of 2 kg towards the other, who catches it. How will this activity affect the position of the two? Explain your answer.​

User Joe Bowman
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2 Answers

4 votes

Answer:

  • The separation between them will increase. Initially, the momentum of both of them is zero as they are at rest. In order to conserve the momentum the one who throws the ball would move backward.
User Vasu Ashok
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1 vote

When the first friend throws the ball towards the second friend, the ball exerts a force on the first friend in the opposite direction to the throw. In accordance with Newton's third law of motion, the first friend also exerts an equal and opposite force on the ball. As a result, the first friend experiences a recoil force that causes them to move backwards, while the second friend moves forward slightly as they catch the ball. The magnitude of the recoil force depends on the mass of the ball and the speed at which it is thrown. However, the effect on the overall position of the two friends is negligible, as the distance between them is much greater than the distance they move due to the ball throw. Thus, the activity will not cause any significant change in the position of the two friends.

User Gabber
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