Question

Two charged particles, A and B, are placed near each other and released from rest. Particle A has twice the mass and twice the charge that particle B has. Which of the following best explains why the acceleration of particle A is half that of particle B?

a) Particle A experiences greater gravitational force.
b) Particle A has double the inertial mass.
c) Particle A encounters more air resistance.
d) Particle A's charge interacts less with the electromagnetic field.

Answer 1

The acceleration of particle A is half that of particle B because it has double the inertial mass, which results in half the acceleration when subjected to the same force as particle B.

Step-by-step explanation:

The acceleration of particle A is half that of particle B because particle A has double the inertial mass. Newton's second law states that force equals mass times acceleration (F = ma). Particle A, having twice the mass of particle B, will experience the same force due to having double the charge, but because its mass is also doubled, its acceleration will be half that of particle B. The correct answer is option b) Particle A has double the inertial mass.