# To win a prize at the country fair, you’re trying to knock down a heavy bowling pin by hitting it with a thrown object. Should you choose to throw a rubber ball or a beanbag of equal size and weight? Explain.

This article aims to find whether a rubber ball or bean bag is best used to knock down a heavy bowling pin to win a prize at a country fair. This article uses the concept of elastic, inelastic collision, and change in momentum.

Elastic collisions

An elastic collision is defined as a collision in which momentum and kinetic energy are observed. This means that there is no dissipative force during the collision and that all kinetic energy of the objects before collision is still in the form of kinetic energy afterward.

Inelastic collisions

An inelastic collision is when some of the kinetic energy is converted to another form of energy during the collision.

Change in momentum is defined as

Change in momentum of an object is defined as its mass times change in its velocity.

$\Delta p = m . ( \Delta v ) = m. ( v _ { f } – v _ { i } )$

Where $v_{ f }$ and $v_{ i }$ are final and initial velocities.

The rubber ball will exert more force on the heavy pin because its kinetic energy will be conserved, while the bean bag will exert less force due to the loss of kinetic energy. A collision between two objects can be elastic or inelastic.

– In an elastic collision, both momentum and kinetic energy are conserved.

– In an inelastic collision, only momentum is conserved.

The impulse experienced by each thrown object is equal to the object’s change in momentum.

$J = \Delta P$

For Rubber Ball

In an elastic collision, it reverses direction and moves at speed equal to or less than the original.

Change in momentum = $P$

$P = m ( v _ { f } – v _ { i } )$

$v _ { f } = – v _ { i }$

$P = – 2 m v _{ i }$

For Beanbag

When velocity is zero, the value of impulse will be large.

$v _ { f } = 0$

$P = – m v _ { i }$

The rubber ball will exert more force on the heavy pin because its kinetic energy will be conserved, while the bean bag will exert less force due to the loss of kinetic energy.

## Numerical Result

The rubber ball will exert more force on the heavy pin because its kinetic energy will be conserved, while the bean bag will exert less force due to the loss of kinetic energy.

## Example

To win a prize at a fair, you try to knock down a heavy skittle by hitting it with a thrown object. Should you choose to throw a bouncy ball or a non-bouncy ball of the same size and weight? Explain.

Solution

The bouncy ball will exert more force on the heavy pin because its kinetic energy will be conserved, while the non-bouncy ball will exert less force due to the loss of kinetic energy.