Practice Questions on Force, Mass, and Acceleration with Solutions

📚 Topic Summary

Force, mass, and acceleration are fundamental concepts in physics, described by Newton's Second Law of Motion: $F = ma$, where $F$ is the net force acting on an object, $m$ is its mass, and $a$ is its acceleration. This law states that the acceleration of an object is directly proportional to the net force acting on it and inversely proportional to its mass. Understanding the relationship between these three variables is crucial for solving various problems related to motion.

In simpler terms, the heavier something is (mass) and the faster its speed changes (acceleration), the stronger the force acting upon it. By manipulating the formula, we can also determine mass ($m = \frac{F}{a}$) or acceleration ($a = \frac{F}{m}$) if the other two values are known. Let's test your knowledge!

🧠 Part A: Vocabulary

Match the terms with their correct definitions:

Answers:

• 🔍 1-B
• 💡 2-C
• 📝 3-A

✍️ Part B: Fill in the Blanks

Complete the following paragraph using the correct terms:

According to Newton's Second Law, the __________ acting on an object is equal to the __________ of the object multiplied by its __________. If a greater __________ is applied to an object, it will experience a greater __________. Conversely, if an object has a larger __________, it will experience a smaller __________ for the same applied __________.

Answers:

• 🔍 Force
• 💡 Mass
• 📝 Acceleration
• 🧪 Force
• 🌍 Acceleration
• 🧬 Mass
• 🔢 Acceleration
• 📊 Force

🤔 Part C: Critical Thinking

Explain, in your own words, how increasing the mass of an object affects its acceleration if the applied force remains constant. Provide a real-world example to support your explanation.

Answer:

• 🔍 Increasing the mass of an object, while keeping the applied force constant, will decrease its acceleration. This inverse relationship is described by Newton's Second Law ($a = \frac{F}{m}$). If $F$ is constant, then as $m$ increases, $a$ decreases proportionally.
• 💡 Real-world example: Imagine pushing a shopping cart. If the cart is empty (less mass), it's easy to accelerate it quickly with a certain amount of force. However, if the cart is full of groceries (more mass), the same amount of force will result in a much smaller acceleration, and it will be harder to get the cart moving quickly.