Question

A pitcher throws a softball toward home plate. When the ball hits the catcher’s mitt, its horizontal velocity is 32 meters/second. The softball’s velocity goes to 0 meters/second in 0.8 seconds when caught. If the softball has a mass of 0.2 kilograms, what’s the force of the impact? Use F = ma, where .
The force of the impact is
newtons

Answer 1

Answer:

8 Netrons

Explanation:

Answer 2

Answer:

Force applied to stop the softball: - 8 N

See if they are asking for the absolute value of this, which will be 8 N.

Explanation:

In order to apply the formula F = m * a, we need to find the acceleration that is imparted on the ball to change its velocity from 32 m/s to zero m/s.

We use the formula for acceleration: $a=\frac{v_f-v_i}{t}$

where the initial velocity $v_i$ is 32 m/s, the final velocity $v_f$ is 0 m/s, and the time (t) it took to make this change is: 0.8 seconds:

$a=\frac{v_f-v_i}{t}\\a=\frac{0-32}{0.8}\\a=-40 \, \frac{m}{s^2}$

where the answer comes on $\frac{m}{s^2}$ given the units for the velocities and time used.

Then, knowing the mass of the softball, we can calculate the force applied:

$F=m*a=0.2\,kg*(-40\, \frac{m}{s^2} =-8N$

So the absolute value of this force (force of impact) is 8 Newtons.