Final answer:
Newton's second law of motion states that the acceleration of an object is directly proportional to the net force applied to it and inversely proportional to its mass. If two objects of different mass experience the same force, the object with a smaller mass will have a greater acceleration.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question is discussing the relationship between force, mass, and acceleration. According to Newton's second law of motion, the acceleration of an object is directly proportional to the net force applied to it and inversely proportional to its mass. This means that if two objects of different mass experience the same force, the object with a smaller mass will have a greater acceleration.
For example, in Figure 4.6 (c), a basketball player pushes on a basketball and a stalled SUV with the same force. The basketball, having a smaller mass, experiences a larger acceleration compared to the SUV with a larger mass. This is because the force divided by the mass gives a larger value for the basketball, resulting in a larger acceleration.
Similarly, in Figure 4.5 (c), if an adult pushes a child in a wagon with a larger net external force, the acceleration of the child will be greater compared to the case when two children push the wagon with the same force but a smaller net external force.