Question

While dragging a crate a workman exerts a force of 628 N. Later, the mass of the crate is increased by a factor of 3.8. If the workman exerts the same force, how does the new acceleration compare to the old acceleration?

Answer 1

Force applied = F = 628 N 
Acceleration = a m/s² 
Newton's 2nd law of motion : F = Ma 
 a = F/M -------- (1) 
New mass of the crate = M1 = 3.8M kg 
New acceleration = a1 = F/M1 = F/(3.8 M) ----- (2) 
a1/a = {F/(3.8M)}/(F/M) = 1/3.8 = 10/38 = 5/19 ------- Answer

Answer 2

Answer:

The acceleration would decrease by a factor of 3.8.

Explanation:

Force = mass x acceleration

F = ma

If the mass is increased by a factor of 3.8. New mass = 3.8 m

If the same force is exerted, then acceleration is inversely proportional to mass and it changes by:

$\frac {3.8 m}{m} = \frac{a} {a'}\\ \Rightarrow a' = \frac {a} {3.8}$