Question

2.
complete sentences
a constant force pushes on a brick, as shown above.
if there were three bricks, as shown above, what would happen to the acceleration of the bricks if the same force pushed them?
type a response

Explanation:

Step1: Recall Newton's Second Law

Newton's second law states \( F = ma \), where \( F \) is force, \( m \) is mass, and \( a \) is acceleration. Rearranging for acceleration gives \( a=\frac{F}{m} \).

Step2: Analyze Mass Change

When we go from 1 brick to 3 bricks, the total mass \( m \) triples (assuming each brick has the same mass). The force \( F \) remains constant (same force is applied).

Step3: Determine Acceleration Change

Using \( a=\frac{F}{m} \), if \( m \) becomes \( 3m \) (three times the original mass) and \( F \) is constant, the new acceleration \( a_{new}=\frac{F}{3m}=\frac{1}{3}\times\frac{F}{m} \). So the acceleration is one - third of the original acceleration (or the acceleration decreases by a factor of 3).

Answer:

The acceleration of the bricks would decrease to one - third of its original value (or the acceleration would be divided by 3) because according to Newton's second law \( a = \frac{F}{m} \), when the force \( F \) is constant and the mass \( m \) triples (with three bricks), the acceleration is inversely proportional to the mass.