Question

A lead ball strikes a wall and falls down but a tennis ball having the same mass and velocity striking the wall, 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 $\Delta {\overrightarrow{P}}_{lead}=-mv\hat{i}$

$\therefore \Delta {\overrightarrow{P}}_{lead}=mv$

For tennis ball $\Delta {\overrightarrow{P}}_{tennis}=-m\overrightarrow{v}-m\overrightarrow{v}=-2mv\hat{i}$

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