Question

what happens to the acceleration of an object if the net force acting on it is doubled while its mass remains constant?
the acceleration is halved
the acceleration is doubled
the acceleration is quadrupled
the acceleration remains the same

Explanation:

Step1: Recall Newton's second law

Newton's second law is \(F = ma\), where \(F\) is the net force, \(m\) is the mass, and \(a\) is the acceleration. We can solve for \(a\) to get \(a=\frac{F}{m}\).

Step2: Analyze the change in force

Let the initial force be \(F_1\) and the initial acceleration be \(a_1=\frac{F_1}{m}\). If the force is doubled (\(F_2 = 2F_1\)) and mass \(m\) remains constant. Then the new acceleration \(a_2=\frac{F_2}{m}\). Substitute \(F_2 = 2F_1\) into the formula, we get \(a_2=\frac{2F_1}{m}\).

Step3: Compare the accelerations

Since \(a_1=\frac{F_1}{m}\) and \(a_2=\frac{2F_1}{m}\), we can see that \(a_2 = 2a_1\).

Answer:

The acceleration is doubled.