Question

If a ball rolls across a table to the left with constant speed, which of the following is true about the force(s) on the ball? (3a1)

Question 10 options:

There cannot be any forces applied to the ball.


There must be exactly one force applied to the ball.


The net force applied to the ball is zero.


The net force applied to the ball is directed to the right.

Answer 1

C. The net force applied to the ball is zero.

Step-by-step explanation:

From Newton's second law of motion;

F = ma

Where F is the force on an object, m is its mass and a is its acceleration.

Therefore, the force on an object is a product of its mass and acceleration as it travel from one point to another.

Since acceleration relates to the rate of change in velocity to time. Then when the object moves at uniform velocity (especially along a straight path), its acceleration is zero.

So that;

F = m x 0

= 0

No force is applied on the object.

Therefore for the ball in the given question, the net force applied to the ball is zero because it rolls with constant speed along a straight path.