A rubber ball of mass strikes a vertical wall normally with speed and rebounds with…
PHYSICS · Multi-part · A Level · Physics · Mechanics and materials · Mechanics and materials
Problem
A rubber ball of mass 0.20kg strikes a vertical wall normally with speed 15ms−1 and rebounds with the same speed. The duration of contact with the wall can vary depending on the surface treatment.
(i) Show that the magnitude of the average force exerted by the wall on the ball is given by Favg=Δt2mv, where Δt is the time interval of contact.
(ii) For a hard concrete wall the contact time is 3.0×10−3s. Calculate the average force on the ball.
(iii) A padded wall increases the contact time to 1.5×10−2s. Determine the new average force and comment on how padding influences safety for players practising indoors.