Physics Relationship with data sets

Question

A student is setting up an experiment with 10 different balls. The student wants to measure which ball hits the ground with the largest force when released from a box 5 feet above the ground. Which quantity should be measured to correctly calculate the force with which each ball hits the ground?

the mass of each ball

the rate at which the velocity of each ball increases

the final velocity of each ball right before hitting the ground



the initial velocity of each ball

Answer 1

Remember that F = ma. All falling objects accelerate at the rate of the acceleration due to gravity (g) so there is no need to worry about measuring that or anything related to it (such the rate at which the velocity of each ball increases or the final velocity of each ball right before hitting the ground). The problem initial conditions state the ball is "released from a box" which sounds like initial velocity is zero so no need to check that.

Since F = ma, the only thing critical is "m", the mass of each ball.