The center of mass of a system of particles has a constant velocity if:
A)the forces exerted by the particles on each other sum to zero
B)the external forces acting on particles of the system sum to zero
C)the velocity of the center of mass is initially zero
D)the particles are distributed symmetrically around the center of mass
E)the center of mass is at the geometric center of the system

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

According to Newton's second law, the total force on an object is equal to its mass multiplied by its acceleration. Therefore, if the external forces acting on the particles of a system sum to zero, then the acceleration of the system's center of mass will be zero. This means that the center of mass will have a constant velocity. The other choices do not ensure that the center of mass will have a constant velocity.

The Center of Mass of a System of Particles Has