Question

An unbalanced force of 2 Newtons is applied to a mass and the mass accelerates. If a force of 1 Newton was applied to the same mass, the acceleration will be:

a. The same
b. Twice as much
c. Half as much
d. Four times as much

Answer 1

If a force of 2 Newtons causes a certain acceleration on a mass, then applying a force of 1 Newton to the same mass would result in half the acceleration, due to direct proportionality between force and acceleration in Newton's second law of motion.

Step-by-step explanation:

When an unbalanced force of 2 Newtons is applied to a mass, causing it to accelerate, this situation is described by Newton's second law of motion, which is represented by the formula F = ma, where F is the net external force, m is the mass, and a is the acceleration. If the force applied is reduced to 1 Newton, the acceleration of the same mass would be half as much, because the force and acceleration are directly proportional. This means if you apply half the force, you get half the acceleration provided the mass remains constant.