A Level Physics Practice Exam

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Study for the A Level Physics Exam. Our quiz features flashcards and multiple choice questions, each with hints and explanations. Prepare thoroughly!

Each practice test/flash card set has 50 randomly selected questions from a bank of over 500. You'll get a new set of questions each time!

Practice this question and more.

What happens to the momentum of a dropped golf ball just before it impacts the ground?

It becomes zero
It is directed upwards
It is directed towards the Earth
It increases to infinity

The correct answer is: It is directed towards the Earth

The momentum of a dropped golf ball just before it impacts the ground is indeed directed towards the Earth. This is because momentum is a vector quantity, which means it has both magnitude and direction. As the golf ball falls under the influence of gravity, it accelerates towards the Earth, increasing its velocity. Since momentum is the product of mass and velocity, the direction of the momentum will be the same as the direction of the ball's velocity, which is downward towards the Earth just before it hits the ground. Momentum does not become zero at this point; rather, the quantity is quite significant as the ball is in motion. It also does not direct upwards, as that would contradict the motion resulting from the gravitational force acting downward. Furthermore, momentum cannot increase to infinity in this context; it approaches a finite value based on the ball's mass and velocity just before impact.