Question

A rocket experiences a constant force even as the amount of fuel in its fuel tanks decreases. What happens to the acceleration of the rocket as it runs out of fuel?
A - The acceleration decreases because the mass increases.B - The acceleration increases because the mass increases.C - The acceleration decreases because the mass decreases.D - The acceleration increases because the mass decreases.

Answer 1

We can answer this question by looking at Newton's second law:

$F=ma$

which can be rewritten as

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

where F is the force experienced by the rocket, m is its mass, a is its acceleration. In the rocket's case, the mass of the rocket decreases (because the fuel in the tank decreases), while the force remains constant, so the ratio F/m increases, and therefore the acceleration of the rocket increases.

Therefore, the correct answer is

D - The acceleration increases because the mass decreases.

Answer 2

The correct answer is D