A student is investigating mass and acceleration. The student applies the same force of 40 N force to two boxes that have the same size and shape. Box 1 experiences an acceleration of 10 m/s^2 and box 2 experiences an acceleration of 5m/s^2.
The student claims that box 1 must have a smaller mass than box 2. Which argument best supports the student's claim?(1 point)
Responses
Heavier objects need greater force than lighter objects to accelerate at the same rate.
Lighter objects need less force than heavier objects to start moving but will accelerate at the same rate.
Heavier objects need less force than lighter objects to accelerate at the same rate.
Lighter objects need greater force than heavier objects to start moving but will accelerate at the same rate.
The best argument that supports the student's claim is: Heavier objects need greater force than lighter objects to accelerate at the same rate.
The correct argument that best supports the student's claim is:
Heavier objects need greater force than lighter objects to accelerate at the same rate.
To find the correct response, let's first understand Newton's second law of motion, which states that the acceleration of an object is directly proportional to the net force acting on it and inversely proportional to its mass. Mathematically, it can be represented as:
F = ma
Where:
F = force applied
m = mass of the object
a = acceleration of the object
In the given scenario, both boxes experience the same force of 40 N. However, box 1 has an acceleration of 10 m/s^2, while box 2 has an acceleration of 5 m/s^2.
Now, if we rearrange the equation for Newton's second law, we can find the relationship between force, mass, and acceleration:
m = F/a
This indicates that mass is inversely proportional to acceleration. So, when the acceleration increases, the mass should decrease and vice versa, as long as the force is constant.
Based on this information, the argument that best supports the student's claim is: "Heavier objects need less force than lighter objects to accelerate at the same rate." This argument aligns with Newton's second law, stating that a smaller mass (like in box 1) requires less force to achieve the same acceleration as a larger mass (like in box 2).