Use Newton’s second law of motion to explain the following — (a) A cricketer pulls his hands back while catching a fast moving cricket ball. (b) An athlete prefers to land on sand instead of hard floor while taking a high jump.

(a) By pulling his hands back while catching a fast-moving cricket ball, a cricketer reduces the force needed to stop the ball suddenly, decreasing the impact force on his hands according to Newton’s second law.

(b) An athlete prefers to land on sand instead of a hard floor during a high jump to reduce the force experienced upon landing, as sand provides a softer and more gradual impact surface, prolonging the duration of deceleration in accordance with Newton’s second law.