A student performs two investigations of force and acceleration. In the first investigation, she pushes objects with different masses using the same amount of force. In the second investigation, the student pushes objects with the same masses using different amounts of force. The result of both investigations are shown.

Question

Investigation 1 Constant force: Acceleration(m/2) vs. Mass(kg) graph- Decreasing scatter plot y axis numbers: 12 8 6 4 2 and the origin 0. X axis numbers: 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20
Investigation 2 Constant mass: Force(N) vs. Acceleration(m/2) graph- Increasing scatter plot y axis numbers: 60,50,40,30,20,10 and the origin 0. x axis number: 0.2 , 0.4 , 0.6 , 0.8 , 0.10 ,0.12

Which claim and argument can the student make using her data?

A. Claim: With a constant force, the acceleration of the objects is proportional to the mass of the objects.
Evidence: The acceleration of the objects increases as the masses of the objects increase.

B. Claim: With a constant force, the acceleration of the objects is proportional to the mass of the objects.
Evidence: The acceleration of the objects decreases as the masses of the objects decrease.

C. Claim: With a constant mass, the amount of force applied to the objects is proportional to their acceleration.
Evidence: As the force on the objects increases, the acceleration of the objects increases.

D. Claim: With a constant mass, the amount of force applied to the objects is proportional to their acceleration.
Evidence: As the force on the objects increases, the acceleration of the objects decreases.

Answer 1

The correct claim and argument that the student can make using her data is:

C. Claim: With a constant mass, the amount of force applied to the objects is proportional to their acceleration.
Evidence: As the force on the objects increases, the acceleration of the objects increases.

Explanation:

• In Investigation 1, the student is examining the effect of mass on acceleration with a constant force, showing that as mass increases, acceleration decreases, which is consistent with Newton's second law (F = ma). The scatter plot would show a downward trend.

• In Investigation 2, the student keeps mass constant and varies the force, demonstrating that increasing the force results in an increase in acceleration, consistent with Newton's second law as well. The scatter plot here is expected to show an upward trend.

Thus, option C accurately reflects the findings from the second investigation.