Final answer:
The net displacement and distance traveled of Maud's bowling ball for a strike are equal since it took a straight path to the pins. The bet about the baseball and bowling ball dropping from a building on understanding gravity and air resistance. Considering real-world factors, the bowling ball may hit the ground first due to less air resistance.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question of which bowling ball Wally West used to get that strike is incidental to understanding the physics concepts at play. When Maud sends her bowling ball straight down the center of the lane and gets a strike, the net displacement of the ball would be the straight line distance from where it was released to where it hit the pins. The distance traveled would also be the same since the ball traveled in a straight line without changing direction or being obstructed; thus, for a strike in bowling, the net displacement and distance traveled are equal.
In the alumnus's bet involving dropping a baseball and a bowling ball from the tallest building on campus, physics principles tell us that without air resistance, both would hit the ground at the same time due to the acceleration from gravity acting equally on both objects. However, in the real world, air resistance would affect the baseball more significantly due to its lower mass and different shape, potentially causing the bowling ball to land first. To decide on the bet, you would need to consider these factors.