If the mass of an object is tripled while the force acting on it remains constant, what happens to its acceleration?
It is tripled
It is reduced to one-third
It remains the same
It is quadrupled
This question can be solved by applying Newton's Second Law of Motion, which relates force, mass, and acceleration. We will analyze how acceleration changes when mass is altered while force remains constant.
Correct Option: B) It is reduced to one-third
The question describes a scenario involving two interacting objects (a tennis racket and a ball) and the forces between them. We need to identify which of Newton's laws of motion best explains this interaction.
Correct Option: C) Newton's third law
This question tests understanding of Newton's First and Second Laws of Motion. Newton's Second Law relates net force, mass, and acceleration, while the First Law describes the state of motion when the net force is zero.
where \(F_{\text{net}}\) is the net force, \(m\) is the mass of the object, and \(a\) is its acceleration.
Since mass \(m\) cannot be zero for a physical object, the acceleration \(a\) must be zero.
Correct Option: C) The object moves with constant velocity
When the net force acting on an object is zero, its acceleration is zero. Zero acceleration means that the object's velocity does not change. If it was initially at rest, it remains at rest (constant velocity of zero). If it was initially moving, it continues to move at the same speed in the same direction (constant non-zero velocity). Therefore, the object moves with constant velocity.
This question can be solved by applying Newton's Second Law of Motion, which relates force, mass, and acceleration. We will analyze how acceleration changes when the force is doubled while the mass remains constant.
Correct Option: B) It is doubled
Newton's second law of motion states that the acceleration of an object is directly proportional to the net force acting on it and inversely proportional to its mass. Mathematically, this is expressed as \(F = ma\), where \(F\) is the net force, \(m\) is the mass, and \(a\) is the acceleration. We need to identify the scenario where an unbalanced force causes an acceleration.
B) A feather falling slowly to the ground. This scenario clearly demonstrates Newton's second law because the feather is accelerating (its velocity is changing) due to the net force acting on it (gravity minus air resistance). The slow fall highlights that even a small net force can cause acceleration, and the interaction of opposing forces (gravity and air resistance
According to Newton's third law of motion, if object A exerts a force on object B, the reaction is:
A force of equal magnitude on object A, in the opposite direction
A force of equal magnitude on object B, in the opposite direction
A force of equal magnitude on object A, in the same direction
A force of equal magnitude on object B, in the same direction
This question tests understanding of Newton's Third Law of Motion, which describes the interaction between two objects. The law states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. We need to identify which option correctly describes this reaction force.
A) A force of equal magnitude on object A, in the opposite direction
This option correctly describes the reaction force according to Newton's Third Law. The reaction force is equal in magnitude, opposite in direction, and acts on the object that exerted the initial force (object A).