Middle School

Consider a cricket ball with a mass of 0.17 kg, traveling at a speed of 37.9 m/s. The batsman hits the ball back in the opposite direction to that when it hit the bat, and the ball returns at a speed of 20.0 m/s after it hits the bat.

If the ball and bat are in contact for 90.5 milliseconds, what is the size of the net force applied to the ball during this collision, in newtons?

Answer :

consider the initial direction of motion of ball before being hit by the bat as negative direction and direction of motion after being hit by bat as positive direction of motion .

v₀ = initial velocity of ball before being hit by the bat = - 37.9 m/s

v = final velocity of ball before being hit by the bat = 20 m/s

m = mass of the ball = 0.17 kg

t = time of contact = 90.5 ms = 0.0905 sec (since 1 milli = 0.001)

F = size of net force

using impulse - change in momentum equation

F t = m (v - v₀)

F (0.0905) = (0.17) (20 - (- 37.9))

F = 108.8 N