Question

The mass and acceleration of three motorboats were recorded in a table. All motorboats use the same motor. Which result is likely miscalculated?

Mass (kg) Acceleration (m/s²)
800 750
1200 500
1400 250


(1 point)
Responses

the acceleration or mass of the second boat
the acceleration or mass of the second boat

no miscalculation
no miscalculation

the acceleration or mass of the first boat
the acceleration or mass of the first boat

the acceleration or mass of the third boat

Answer 1

To determine if a result is likely miscalculated, we can use Newton's second law of motion, which states that Force (F) equals mass (m) times acceleration (a):

\[ F = m \cdot a \]

Since all three motorboats use the same motor, they should theoretically produce the same force. Therefore, we can compare the products of mass and acceleration for each boat to see if any discrepancies arise.

Calculating the force for each boat:

1. For the first boat (800 kg, 750 m/s²):
\[ F_1 = 800 \, \text{kg} \cdot 750 \, \text{m/s²} = 600,000 \, \text{N} \]

2. For the second boat (1200 kg, 500 m/s²):
\[ F_2 = 1200 \, \text{kg} \cdot 500 \, \text{m/s²} = 600,000 \, \text{N} \]

3. For the third boat (1400 kg, 250 m/s²):
\[ F_3 = 1400 \, \text{kg} \cdot 250 \, \text{m/s²} = 350,000 \, \text{N} \]

The calculations show that:

- The first and second boats produce the same force (600,000 N).
- The third boat produces significantly less force (350,000 N).

This inconsistency suggests that the acceleration or mass of the third boat is likely miscalculated. Therefore, the most likely miscalculation is:

**the acceleration or mass of the third boat.**