A pair of toy freight cars, one twice the mass of the other, fly apart when a compressed spring that joins them is released. Acceleration will be greater for the

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

According to Newton's second law, F=ma, where force (F) is the product of mass (m) and acceleration (a). Since the force exerted by the spring is the same on both cars, the lighter car will experience a greater acceleration than the heavier car. This can be seen by rearranging the equation: a=F/m. Since the force is constant and the mass of the lighter car is smaller, its acceleration will be larger. Therefore, option B is correct.

A Pair of Toy Freight Cars, One Twice the Mass