A steel ball is thrown vertically upward and a ping pong ball is dropped vertically downward. the two balls roll at the same time. which will have a greater acceleration, why?
g = 9.81 m/s^2
To determine which ball will have a greater acceleration, we can analyze the forces acting on each ball.
For the steel ball thrown upward:
1. There will be a gravitational force acting downward (due to Earth's gravity). This force will try to accelerate the ball downward.
2. Additionally, there will be an opposing force due to air resistance acting in the opposite direction of motion. This force will slow down the ball's acceleration.
For the ping pong ball dropped downward:
1. There will be a gravitational force acting downward, similar to the steel ball.
Both balls experience the same gravitational force because they are subject to the same gravitational field. However, the presence of air resistance makes the difference.
Since the steel ball is thrown upward, there is an additional force acting against its motion, which is air resistance. Air resistance is typically greater at higher speeds. Therefore, the steel ball will experience a greater opposing force due to air resistance compared to the ping pong ball.
As a result, the steel ball will have a smaller net force acting upward compared to the ping pong ball, which has no opposing force besides gravity. Consequently, the steel ball's acceleration will be lower than the ping pong ball's acceleration.
In summary, the ping pong ball will have a greater acceleration because it experiences less air resistance compared to the steel ball thrown upward.