Question

heavier objects need greater force than lighter objects to accelerate at the same rate

Answer 1

Yes, that statement is a reflection of Newton's second law of motion, which can be expressed by the formula \( F = ma \), where \( F \) is the force applied to an object, \( m \) is the mass of the object, and \( a \) is the acceleration.

According to this principle:

- If you have a heavier object (greater mass \( m \)) and want it to accelerate at the same rate \( a \) as a lighter object, you must apply a greater force \( F \) to the heavier object.
- Conversely, if you apply the same force to both a heavier object and a lighter one, the heavier object will accelerate less than the lighter one because it has more inertia.

For example, if you apply a force of 10 Newtons to both a 10 kg object and a 5 kg object:
- For the 10 kg object: \( a = F/m = 10 \, \text{N} / 10 \, \text{kg} = 1 \, \text{m/s}^2\)
- For the 5 kg object: \( a = F/m = 10 \, \text{N} / 5 \, \text{kg} = 2 \, \text{m/s}^2\)

So, the heavier object indeed requires greater force to achieve the same acceleration as the lighter one.