The student's claim that box 1 must have a smaller mass than box 2 is supported by the fact that the same force results in different accelerations for the two boxes. According to Newton's second law of motion, \( F = ma \) (force equals mass times acceleration).
For box 1:
- Force = 20 N
- Acceleration = 5 m/s² Using the formula \( F = ma \), we can rearrange it to find mass: \[ m = \frac{F}{a} = \frac{20, \text{N}}{5, \text{m/s}^2} = 4, \text{kg} \]
For box 2:
- Force = 20 N
- Acceleration = 2 m/s² Using the same formula: \[ m = \frac{F}{a} = \frac{20, \text{N}}{2, \text{m/s}^2} = 10, \text{kg} \]
Thus, box 1 has a mass of 4 kg and box 2 has a mass of 10 kg. The student is correct in stating that box 1 must have a smaller mass than box 2.
The argument that best supports the student's claim is:
B. Heavier objects require greater force than lighter objects to accelerate at the same rate.
This is because box 2, which has greater mass, exhibits lower acceleration than box 1 under the same applied force.
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