Question

Suppose that a constant force is applied to an object. newton's second law of motion states that the acceleration of the object varies inversely with its mass. a certain force acting upon an object with mass 2 kg produces an acceleration of 38 /ms2 . if the same force acts upon another object whose mass is 19 kg , what would this object's acceleration be?

Answer 1

Newton’s second law states that force is the product of mass and acceleration. This is expressed mathematically as:

F = m * a

Where F = force, m = mass, a = acceleration

Since in the given problem, the force is constant or same force is acting upon two objects. Therefore we can simply equate the expression m * a of the 2 objects.

m1 * a1 = m2 * a2

Where m1 = 2 kg, a1 = 38 m/s^2, m2 = 19 kg. Therefore finding for a2:

2 kg * 38 m/s^2 = 19 kg * a2

a2 = 4 m/s^2     (ANSWER)