A student collects data during an investigation about inertia and acceleration.
If the force acting on the objects is constant, which statement about inertia and acceleration is supported by the data?
(1 point)
Responses
An object with less mass has more inertia which causes it to speed up more quickly.
An object with less mass has more inertia which causes it to speed up more quickly.
An object with a higher mass has more inertia which causes it to speed up less quickly.
An object with a higher mass has more inertia which causes it to speed up less quickly.
An object with a higher mass has less inertia which causes it to speed up more quickly.
An object with a higher mass has less inertia which causes it to speed up more quickly.
An object with less mass has less inertia which causes it to speed up less quickly.
An object with a higher mass has more inertia which causes it to speed up less quickly.
The correct statement supported by the data is:
An object with a higher mass has more inertia which causes it to speed up less quickly.
To determine the correct statement about inertia and acceleration, we first need to understand the definitions of these terms.
Inertia refers to an object's resistance to changes in motion. It is directly related to an object's mass, with higher mass objects having more inertia.
Acceleration, on the other hand, refers to the rate at which an object's velocity changes. It is affected by the force applied to the object and its mass. According to Newton's second law of motion, acceleration is inversely proportional to mass. This means that, with a constant force, a higher mass object will have a lower acceleration, and a lower mass object will have a higher acceleration.
Now, let's analyze the statements:
1. An object with less mass has more inertia which causes it to speed up more quickly.
This statement contradicts our understanding of inertia. Inertia increases with an object's mass, so an object with less mass actually has less inertia.
2. An object with a higher mass has more inertia which causes it to speed up less quickly.
This statement aligns with our understanding. Higher mass objects have more inertia, which means they resist changes in motion. Therefore, they speed up less quickly.
3. An object with a higher mass has less inertia which causes it to speed up more quickly.
This statement is incorrect. As mentioned earlier, higher mass objects actually have more inertia, so they resist changes in motion and do not speed up quickly.
4. An object with less mass has less inertia which causes it to speed up less quickly.
This statement is incorrect. As we established earlier, an object with less mass actually has less inertia, so it accelerates more quickly.
Based on our analysis, the correct statement about inertia and acceleration supported by the data is:
- An object with a higher mass has more inertia which causes it to speed up less quickly.