A tennis player applies 20 N of force to a tennis ball, causing it to accelerate at a rate of 40 m/s2. Find the mass of the tennis ball.
f the tennis ball.
a. 0.5 kg
b. 0.2 kg
c. 0.5 kg
d. 0.2 kg

Using the formula for Newton's Second Law...

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Given:

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Equation:

Work:

The key concept here is understanding that objects with a higher mass will tend to keep their momentum. As mass increases, inertia increases and thus, the amount of force required to move something with a large mass compared to a smaller mass is increased as well.