Suppose you have a small cart at rest. You have two different objects that you might throw at the cart to get it moving: a 57-g tennis ball and a 57-g lump of sticky clay. Other things being equal, which should you throw at the cart to maximize the cart's final speed?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The tennis ball should be thrown because it can bounce back, transferring more momentum to the cart compared to the clay, which sticks and doesn't rebound.

Suppose You Have a Small Cart at Rest