(a) State Newton’s second law of motion and write the mathematical relation that…
PHYSICS · Subjective · AP · Physics 1: Algebra-based · Force and Translational Dynamics · Force and Translational Dynamics
Problem
(a) State Newton’s second law of motion and write the mathematical relation that connects the net external force acting on a body with its mass and acceleration.
(b) Using the relation written in part (a), explain qualitatively how the acceleration of a body changes:
(i) when the applied net force is increased while its mass remains constant,
(ii) when the mass of the body is increased while the applied net force remains unchanged.
(c) Draw a neat labelled sketch showing the expected graph of acceleration (a) versus applied net force (F) for a body of fixed mass. Why is the graph a straight line through the origin?
(d) On a separate set of axes sketch the graph of acceleration (a) versus mass (m) for a body acted upon by a fixed net force. Describe the nature of this graph and identify the physical quantity represented by the area under the curve between m=m1 and m=m2.
(e) A trolley of mass 5kg experiences an acceleration of 0.8ms−2 under a horizontal pull. Predict its acceleration if the same pull acts on a trolley of mass 2.5kg. Justify your answer without performing any numerical calculation.