Question

A constant force is applied to an object, causing the object to accelerate at 10 m/s^2. What will the acceleration be if: a) The force is halved? b) The object's mass is halved? c) The force and the object's mass are both halved?

Answer 1

What you need to know is that the force is

F=ma

The force is the product of mass and acceleration

this means that the acceleration is

a=F/m

a) The force is halved?
this means that f will be $\frac{F}{2}$ now:

a=$\frac{F}{2m}$

So the accelaration will also he halved (it's the original acceleratation divided by 2)


 b) The object's mass is halved?
a=$\frac{F}{m/2}$=a=$\frac{F2}{m}$

which is the original acceleration times two!! so it will double


c) The force and the object's mass are both halved?
now we have

a=$\frac{F/2}{m/2}$=a=$\frac{2F}{2m}$=a=$\frac{F}{m}$

so they will cancel each other out and the acceleration will stay the same!