The same motor is used in rockets with different masses. the rockets have different accelerations. according to Newton second law, how is the acceleration expected to change as the rocket increases mass?

Question

a. acceleration cannot be predicted based on changes in mass
b. as rocket mass increases, acceleration increases
c. as rocket mass increases, acceleration decreases
d. there are no changes in acceleration, as it would depend on the amount of force

Answer 1

According to Newton's second law of motion, the acceleration of an object is directly proportional to the net force acting on it and inversely proportional to its mass. This is expressed by the formula:

\[ F = ma \]

Where:

• \(F\) is the net force,
• \(m\) is the mass,
• \(a\) is the acceleration.

When the mass of the rocket increases and the force (thrust from the motor) remains constant, the acceleration will decrease because you are dividing the same force by a larger mass.

So, the correct answer is:

c. as rocket mass increases, acceleration decreases.