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A rocket experiences a constant force even as the amount of fuel in its fuel tanks decreases. What happens to the acceleration of the rocket as it runs out of fuel?

A - The acceleration decreases because the mass increases.B - The acceleration increases because the mass increases.C - The acceleration decreases because the mass decreases. D - The acceleration increases because the mass decreases.

User Megazord
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2 Answers

6 votes
the correct answer is D
User Puetzk
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5 votes

We can answer this question by looking at Newton's second law:


F=ma

which can be rewritten as


a=(F)/(m)

where F is the force experienced by the rocket, m is its mass, a is its acceleration. In the rocket's case, the mass of the rocket decreases (because the fuel in the tank decreases), while the force remains constant, so the ratio F/m increases, and therefore the acceleration of the rocket increases.

Therefore, the correct answer is

D - The acceleration increases because the mass decreases.

User Alkimake
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