Question

analyzing newtons second law of motion
you know from newtons first law of motion that when an unbalanced force acts on an
object, the objects motion changes. in other words, it accelerates. newtons second
law describes the relationship between the acceleration and mass of an object when an
unbalanced force is applied to the object.
the boy pushes a loaded cart down a school hallway. the same loaded cart is now pushed by two people.

1. how might the motion of the cart change when two people push the cart rather

than when the boy pushes the cart by himself?

Explanation:

Newton's second law states \( F = ma \) (force equals mass times acceleration). The cart's mass remains constant. When two people push, the net force on the cart increases (since more force is applied). From \( a=\frac{F}{m} \), if \( F \) increases and \( m \) is constant, acceleration \( a \) increases. Acceleration is the rate of change of velocity (motion). So a higher acceleration means the cart will speed up more quickly (its velocity will increase at a faster rate) or cover more distance in the same time, compared to when one person pushes.

Answer:

When two people push the cart, the net force applied to the cart increases (while the cart’s mass remains constant). According to Newton’s second law (\( F = ma \)), a greater net force leads to a greater acceleration. Since acceleration is the rate of change of motion (velocity), the cart’s motion will change by accelerating more (speeding up faster, or having a greater change in velocity over time) compared to when only the boy pushes it.