Sally Scientist applies an equal force to two objects.The first has a mass of 40 kg and the second has a mass of 10 kg.If the first object accelerates at 10 m/s²,what is the acceleration of the second? A) 2.5 m/s² B) 5.0 m/s² C) 10 m/s² D) 40 m/s²

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

According to Newton's second law of motion, $F = ma$, where $F$ is the force applied, $m$ is the mass of the object, and $a$ is the acceleration of the object. If the same force is applied to both objects, the acceleration of the second object, which has 1/4th the mass of the first (10 kg vs. 40 kg), will be 4 times greater than the acceleration of the first object. Since the first object accelerates at 10 m/s², the second object will accelerate at $10 m/s² \times 4 = 40 m/s²$.

Sally Scientist Applies an Equal Force to Two Objects