Question

A boy rolls a rubber ball on a wooden surface. The ball travels a short distance before coming to rest. To make the ball travel a longer distance before coming to rest, he may

• A.
  spread a carpet on the wooden surface.
• B.
  cover the ball with a piece of cloth.
• C.
  sprinkle talcum powder on the wooden surface.
• D.
  sprinkle sand on the wooden surface.

Answer 1

The correct option is C

sprinkle talcum powder on the wooden surface.
When the ball travels a short distance, it is due to high friction. Therefore to make it travel a longer distance, he needs to reduce the friction.

To decrease friction we use talcum powder over the surface which makes the surface smooth, causing the ball to travel a longer distance.

On the other hand, carpet, cloth and sand will increase the friction.