Use the terms "force", "weight", "mass", and "inertia" to explain why it is easier to tackle a 220 lb football player than a 288

Question

morpeh

3 months ago

13

Use the terms "force", "weight", "mass", and "inertia" to explain why it is easier to tackle a 220 lb football player than a 288

lb football player.

Physics

2 answers:

ValentinkaMS [3.4K] · Answer 1 · 2026-02-18T22:54:16+03:00

<span>Answer
A person who weighs 220 lb has less mass than someone who weighs 288 lb, so accelerating the 220 lb player requires less force. The heavier player therefore carries greater momentum. Because 288 lb corresponds to more weight (and mass), that player has higher inertia and is harder to stop. For these reasons it is easier to tackle a 220 lb player than a 288 lb player.
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Sav [3.1K] · Answer 2 · 2026-02-18T22:56:24+03:00

Some key relationships to remember are:

Force = mass * acceleration

Weight = mass * gravity (10m/s)

Momentum = mass * velocity

Inertia is a property of mass: the tendency of an object to keep moving at the same velocity unless an outside force acts on it.

Using these formulas, if a 220 lb player and a 288 lb player run at the same speed, the 288 lb player has greater momentum and greater inertia than the 220 lb player. Consequently, changing the motion (speed or direction) of the 288 lb player requires more force (and therefore more energy) than changing the motion of the 220 lb player, which is why tackling the lighter player is easier.