Question
In which situation would the momentum of a moving object increase?
a. two forces of equal magnitude act on the object in opposite directions
b. a force acting in the direction of the object's motion is removed from the object
c. a force acting in the direction opposite the object's motion is removed from the object
d. a new force acts on the object, opposing the objects motion
a. two forces of equal magnitude act on the object in opposite directions
b. a force acting in the direction of the object's motion is removed from the object
c. a force acting in the direction opposite the object's motion is removed from the object
d. a new force acts on the object, opposing the objects motion
Answers
GPT-4o mini
To determine in which situation the momentum of a moving object would increase, we need to consider how forces affect an object's momentum. Momentum (p) is defined as the product of an object's mass (m) and its velocity (v): \( p = m \cdot v \).
Let's analyze each option:
a. **Two forces of equal magnitude act on the object in opposite directions.**
- This would result in no net force acting on the object, so its momentum would remain constant.
b. **A force acting in the direction of the object's motion is removed from the object.**
- This would decrease the acceleration of the object in the direction of motion, potentially slowing it down, thus not increasing momentum.
c. **A force acting in the direction opposite the object's motion is removed from the object.**
- Removing this opposing force would allow the object to accelerate in the direction of its current motion, increasing its momentum.
d. **A new force acts on the object, opposing the object's motion.**
- This would decrease the object's speed, thus decreasing its momentum.
The correct answer is **c. a force acting in the direction opposite the object's motion is removed from the object**. This situation allows the object to increase its momentum as it accelerates in the direction of its motion.
Let's analyze each option:
a. **Two forces of equal magnitude act on the object in opposite directions.**
- This would result in no net force acting on the object, so its momentum would remain constant.
b. **A force acting in the direction of the object's motion is removed from the object.**
- This would decrease the acceleration of the object in the direction of motion, potentially slowing it down, thus not increasing momentum.
c. **A force acting in the direction opposite the object's motion is removed from the object.**
- Removing this opposing force would allow the object to accelerate in the direction of its current motion, increasing its momentum.
d. **A new force acts on the object, opposing the object's motion.**
- This would decrease the object's speed, thus decreasing its momentum.
The correct answer is **c. a force acting in the direction opposite the object's motion is removed from the object**. This situation allows the object to increase its momentum as it accelerates in the direction of its motion.