Question

A very hard rubber ball (m = 0.5 kg) is falling vertically at 4 m/s just before it bounces on the floor. The ball rebounds back at essentially the same speed. If the collision with the floor lasts 0.05 s, what is the average force exerted by the floor on the ball?

Answer 1

The average force exerted by the floor on the ball during the collision is zero.

Step-by-step explanation:

To find the average force exerted by the floor on the ball during the collision, we can use the impulse-momentum principle. The impulse experienced by the ball is equal to the change in momentum. Since the ball rebounds back at the same speed, the change in momentum is zero. Therefore, the average force exerted by the floor on the ball is also zero.