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

Answer: (C)

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

Answer 2

Change in the momentum

= Final momentum – initial momentum

For lead ball

For tennis ball

$\Delta \vec { P } _ { \text {tennis } } = - m \vec { v } - m \vec { v } = - 2 m \vec { v }$

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