Question

5) Non physicists often misuse the term force. a) Please criticize in detail the following sentence which was overheard recently at a little-league baseball game: "A baseball is harder to catch than a tennis ball going the same speed because it has more force". b) Explain carefully in words why heavy objects which, after all, do experience a larger gravitational force than light objects, nonetheless fall no faster.

Answer 1

a)   A baseball is harder to catch than a tennis ball going the same speed because it has more momentum . So, when baseball is caught net impulse associated with it is more than tennis ball .

b) They fall at the same rate due to earth's gravitational pull and this pull is regarded to be a constant quantity This pull actually accelerates the falling objects, which is termed as 'acceleration due to gravity'. Since this quantity is constant , all the falling objects are accelerated downwards with the same rate regardless of their masses.