Question

a student pushes three different bowling balls in a bowling alley with the same amount of force. the student observes that the lightest ball has the greatest acceleration. which statement is correct about the students observation? (1 point)

the student observes a negative correlation between the force and acceleration of the bowling balls.

the student observes a positive correlation between the mass and acceleration of the bowling balls.

the student observes a negative correlation between the mass and acceleration of the bowling balls.

the student observes a positive correlation between the force and acceleration of the bowling balls.

Explanation:

Newton's second law of motion is \(F = ma\) (where \(F\) is force, \(m\) is mass, and \(a\) is acceleration). When \(F\) is constant (same force applied to all balls), \(a=\frac{F}{m}\). This shows an inverse relationship between \(m\) and \(a\). A negative correlation means as one variable (\(m\)) increases, the other (\(a\)) decreases. Since the lightest ball (smallest \(m\)) has the greatest \(a\), there is a negative correlation between \(m\) and \(a\).

Answer:

The student observes a negative correlation between the mass and acceleration of the bowling balls.