Question

A student pushed a large rubber ball on a flat frictionless surface. The ball rolled at a speed of one meter per second. Describe the motion of the ball when a student stops pushing it.

a. The ball continues to move at a constant speed.
b. The ball comes to a stop.
c. The ball moves in the opposite direction.
d. The ball accelerates.

Answer 1

The ball will continue to move at a constant speed until another force acts on it or it hits an obstacle.

The motion of the ball when the student stops pushing it depends on the forces acting on the ball. In this case, the ball is pushed on a flat, frictionless surface, which means there is no force to slow it down. Therefore, the ball will continue to move at a constant speed (option a) until another force acts on it or it hits an obstacle.