To accurately answer the question, we need to refer to the properties of Newton's second law of motion, which states that \( F = ma \) (force equals mass times acceleration). Let's analyze each statement based on this principle:
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If C and D have the same force acting on them, then D must have a greater acceleration.
- This statement is incorrect. If both have the same force, the greater acceleration would be for the object with lesser mass, not greater.
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If C and D have the same acceleration, then D must have a greater starting velocity.
- This statement is also incorrect. Acceleration does not imply anything about starting velocity; both could have any initial velocity while still having the same acceleration.
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If C and D have the same mass, then D must have a greater force acting on it.
- This statement is not necessarily true. If they have the same mass, they could have forces that are equal or different depending on the values applied.
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If C and D have the same force acting on them, then D must have more mass.
- This statement is correct. According to \( F = ma \), if C and D experience the same force and D has more mass (compared to C), then D will have a smaller acceleration than C. This confirms that with the same force, the object with greater mass will experience less acceleration.
Therefore, the best statement that describes the motions shown in this graph is:
If C and D have the same force acting on them, then D must have more mass.