A footballer tells teammates that a football can be kicked a much greater distance when the ball is initially travelling towards them, compared to kicking a stationary ball - Scottish Highers Physics - Question 3 - 2019

The statement made by the footballer is rooted in the principles of momentum and energy transfer. When a football is in motion, it possesses kinetic energy defined by the formula:

$E_k = \frac{1}{2}mv^2$

where ( m ) is the mass of the football and ( v ) is its velocity. When the player kicks a ball that is moving towards them, the foot's energy combines with the ball's existing kinetic energy, allowing for a more substantial transfer of momentum.

This can be explained using the principle of conservation of momentum, which states that the total momentum before the kick will equal the total momentum after the kick, provided no external forces act on the system.

Thus, if the moving ball has a momentum given by ( p = mv ), when kicked, its overall displacement could potentially be greater due to this added momentum from its initial motion.

In contrast, kicking a stationary football only utilizes the energy and momentum from the player's kick, leading to a shorter distance due to lack of additional kinetic energy from the ball's movement.

Therefore, the footballer's assertion is valid based on the physics of energy transfer and momentum.