# A football player kicks a stationary ball. The ball accelerates rapidly and travels across the pitch. Explain, using Newton's laws of motion, why the ball accelerates when kicked and why it eventually slows down and stops.

> Edexcel A-Level Physics (9PH0) — 2.2 Forces, Newton's laws and momentum · Explain · 5 marks

## Mark scheme (5 marks)

1. The player's foot exerts a force on the ball (Newton's second or first law application — a resultant force causes acceleration)
2. A resultant force causes the ball to accelerate (Newton's second law — resultant force causes a change in velocity / acceleration)
3. Newton's third law: the ball exerts an equal and opposite force back on the foot
4. Once the ball is in motion, friction (from the ground) and / or air resistance act on the ball in the opposite direction to motion
5. These resistive forces produce a resultant force opposing motion, causing the ball to decelerate and eventually stop (Newton's first law — a resultant force changes the state of motion)

## Related

- [Revision notes for Edexcel A-Level Physics (9PH0)](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/learn)
- [How to answer "Explain" questions](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/tools/command-word-cheatsheet)
- [Practice this with AI marking (free)](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/start)

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Source: [GradeNine](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/q/a-football-player-kicks-a-stationary-52dc6edb) · Published by Druglandscape Ltd.