Question

A lead ball strikes a wall and falls down, a tennis ball having the same mass and velocity strikes the wall and bounces back. Check the correct statement

• A. The momentum of the lead ball is greater than that of the tennis ball
• B. The lead ball suffers a greater change in momentum compared with the tennis ball
• C. The tennis ball suffers a greater change in momentum as compared with the lead ball
• D. Both suffer an equal change in momentum

Answer 1

The correct option is C

The tennis ball suffers a greater change in momentum as compared with the lead ball

Change in the momentum

= Final momentum - initial momentum

For lead ball $△{\overrightarrow{P}}_{lead}=0-m\overrightarrow{v}=-m\overrightarrow{v}$

For tennis ball $△{\overrightarrow{P}}_{tennis}=-m\overrightarrow{v}-m\overrightarrow{v}=-2m\overrightarrow{v}$

i.e. tennis ball suffers a greater change in momentum.