The Relationship Between Force, Mass, and Acceleration

What happens when the force applied to an object is decreased?

A. The object speeds up.
B. The object slows down.
C. The object remains at the same velocity.
D. The object becomes less massive.

Answer:

If the force applied to an object is decreased, the object slows down.

The force acting on a body is determined by applying Newton's second law of motion, which states that F = ma, where F is the force applied, m is the mass of the body, and a is the acceleration of the body.

By rearranging the formula, we get a = Δv/t, where a is acceleration, Δv is the change in velocity, and t is the time taken for the change. Substituting this back into the formula F = ma, we get F = (mΔv)/t.

Another way to express the change in velocity is Δv = Ft/m. From this equation, it is clear that when the applied force decreases, the change in velocity also decreases. Therefore, if the force of push on an object is decreased, the object will slow down.

It is important to understand this relationship between force, mass, and acceleration in order to predict the behavior of objects in motion accurately.