Easy conceptual mechanics question

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    Conceptual Mechanics
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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on the mechanics of force exerted by falling objects, specifically comparing a ball and a stretched mass resembling a telephone pole dropped from the same height. It concludes that the force exerted upon impact is influenced by the time taken to stop and the velocity at collision, as articulated by the formula F = Δp/t, where p represents momentum. The physical properties of the objects, such as their ability to compress upon impact, significantly affect the force experienced during the collision.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of Newton's Second Law (F=ma)
  • Basic knowledge of momentum and its conservation
  • Familiarity with concepts of impact force and time of collision
  • Awareness of material properties affecting elasticity and compression
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the principles of momentum conservation in collisions
  • Explore the relationship between impact force and time of deceleration
  • Study the differences in elastic and inelastic collisions
  • Learn about the physics of materials and their deformation properties
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Physics students, educators, and anyone interested in understanding the mechanics of falling objects and impact forces.

MillerGenuine
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Just a random question i had in mind. should be very simple to answer. Assume I had a ball of some arbitrary mass (m), and dropped this ball from an arbitrary height (h). Now assume i had stretched out this mass to look something like a pole (lets just say a telephone pole). Now let's say this telephone pole fell (as you would imagine a tree falling) from the same height(h). would they both exert the same force once they hit the ground? what other relationships can i apply to these 2 objects? (acceleration, momentum, etc...?)
An explanation with some concepts would be great..maybe F=ma or conservation of momentum can be applied? Anyways..thanks in advance
 
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The force an object exert when hitting the ground after falling is dependent on the amount of time it took the object to stop (or bounce back) and the velocity at the collision.
[tex]F = \frac{\Delta p}{t}[/tex] where p is momentum and t is time.
For example, when a pillow falls down and hit the floor it 'compresses' and this compression takes plenty of time so the force felt isn't that high. Take an object of similar mass to a pillow, say a basketball and the force exerted by it is much higher because the basketball bounces very fast compared to the pillow, thus the force is much greater.

Answering your question, when you stretch your ball you are probably changing its physical properties and probably it will not bounce the same way and in the same time as the ball, but if you manage to make it stop once it reaches ground in the same time the ball stops once it reaches ground, then the force exerted will be equal.
 

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