Final answer:
A constant, nonzero force applied to an object means that the velocity is changing, and the acceleration is constant. Constant acceleration implies that the speed of the object increases at a steady rate, while a linear displacement versus time graph indicates that acceleration is zero and velocity is constant.
Step-by-step explanation:
If a constant, nonzero force is applied to an object, we can infer that the velocity of the object is changing, and the acceleration is constant. This is because acceleration is defined as the rate of change of velocity with time.
A constant force results in a constant acceleration according to Newton's second law, which states that force equals mass times acceleration (F = ma). Consequently, if the force is constant and nonzero, and the mass of the object does not change, the acceleration must remain constant.
Take the example of a car that begins to move when the traffic light turns green. If the driver applies a steady force on the gas pedal, the car will accelerate at a constant rate, meaning the speed of the car (velocity) will increase steadily as the time passes.
However, if the car is traveling at a constant velocity, this suggests that there is no net force acting on the car, hence it is not accelerating. In the context of a displacement versus time graph, if the graph is linear, it signifies that the velocity is constant, and therefore the acceleration is zero.