A tennis ball is held above and in contact with a basketball,and then both are simultaneously dropped.The tennis ball bounces off the basketball at a fairly high speed.This is because:
A)the basketball falls farther than the tennis ball.
B)the tennis ball is slightly shielded from the Earth's gravitational pull.
C)the massive basketball transfers momentum to the lighter tennis ball.
D)the tennis ball has a smaller radius.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

When the tennis ball collides with the basketball, the momentum is transferred from the basketball to the tennis ball, which causes it to bounce off at a high speed. This happens because momentum is conserved in the system. The basketball may fall farther due to its larger mass, but that does not affect the bounce of the tennis ball. The Earth's gravitational pull affects both balls equally. The size of the tennis ball's radius also does not play a significant role in this scenario.

A Tennis Ball Is Held Above and in Contact with a Basketball,and