Question

Two rubber bands stretched to the standard length cause an object to accelerate at 2 m/s^2. Suppose another object with twice the mass is pulled by four rubber bands stretched to the standard length. What is the acceleration of this second object?

A 1 m/s^2
B 2 m/s^2 C 4 m/s^2
D 8 m/s^2
E 16 m/s^2

Answer 1

The acceleration of the second object which has twice the mass being pulled by four rubber bands stretched to the standard length remains at 2 m/s^2, as both mass and force have doubled, keeping the acceleration constant according to Newton's Second Law of Motion.

Step-by-step explanation:

When considering the acceleration of an object being pulled by rubber bands, we're dealing with Newton's Second Law of Motion, which states that force equals mass times acceleration (F = ma). Given that two rubber bands stretch to a standard length cause an acceleration of 2 m/s2 for an object, it is implied that the force provided by two rubber bands is enough to produce this acceleration.

When the mass of the object is doubled but is pulled by four rubber bands, the force is also doubled (since each pair of rubber bands contributes a force that produces 2 m/s2 acceleration). Therefore, the acceleration would remain the same because while the mass has doubled, the net force has also doubled. Thus, the acceleration of the second object with twice the mass being pulled by four rubber bands stretched to the standard length is 2 m/s2 (Option B).