The correct statement is:
b. The object with a larger mass (Earth) will have LESS acceleration than the object with the smaller mass (the rock).
According to Newton's second law of motion (F = ma), the acceleration (a) of an object is directly proportional to the net force (F) acting on it and inversely proportional to its mass (m).
In the case of the gravitational force between the Earth and the rock, the forces are equal in magnitude (thanks to Newton's third law), but the masses are vastly different. The Earth has a much larger mass than the rock. Thus, even though the gravitational force between them is equal, the acceleration of each object will differ due to their masses.
For the Earth:
- The force acting on Earth is the same as the force acting on the rock (force of gravity).
- Earth’s mass is extremely large, so the acceleration it experiences is very small.
For the rock:
- The same force is acting on the rock (force of gravity).
- The rock’s mass is much smaller, so it experiences a larger acceleration.
This is why the rock accelerates towards the Earth while the Earth’s acceleration towards the rock is negligible.
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