Two cars with different masses travel at the same speed down a hill toward a stop sign. What will happen when both cars apply brakes at the same time to stop? (8.P.2A.1)
*
2 points
The car with the smaller mass will take longer to stop than the car with the larger mass.
The car with the larger mass will maintain its velocity while traveling down the hill.
The car with the larger mass will have less inertia than the car with the smaller mass.
The car with the smaller mass will require less force to stop than the car with the larger mass.
The car with the smaller mass will take longer to stop than the car with the larger mass.
No, F = m A
The car with the smaller mass will require less force to stop than the car with the larger mass.
anonymous
asked
Yes, you are correct. According to Newton's second law (F = m * A), the car with the smaller mass will require less force to stop than the car with the larger mass. This means that the car with the smaller mass will stop more quickly than the car with the larger mass.
To answer this question, we need to understand the concept of inertia and its relationship to mass.
Inertia is the tendency of an object to resist changes in its state of motion. It depends on the mass of the object - the greater the mass, the greater the inertia. When a moving object applies brakes to stop, it experiences a force that acts opposite to its motion. This force opposes the object's inertia and causes it to decelerate.
Now, let's analyze each statement to determine the correct answer:
1. The car with the smaller mass will take longer to stop than the car with the larger mass.
Since inertia depends on mass, the car with the larger mass will have greater inertia, which means it will take longer to stop. So, this statement is incorrect.
2. The car with the larger mass will maintain its velocity while traveling down the hill.
This statement is not relevant to the question because it discusses the motion of the cars while traveling down the hill, not when they apply brakes to stop. Therefore, this statement is incorrect as well.
3. The car with the larger mass will have less inertia than the car with the smaller mass.
As we discussed earlier, inertia depends on mass, and the car with the larger mass will have greater inertia. Hence, this statement is incorrect.
4. The car with the smaller mass will require less force to stop than the car with the larger mass.
Finally, this statement is correct. When stopping, both cars experience the same braking force. However, due to its smaller mass, the car with the smaller mass will have less inertia, and therefore, it will require less force to stop compared to the car with the larger mass.
So, the correct answer is:
The car with the smaller mass will require less force to stop than the car with the larger mass.