The center of mass of a system of particles obeys an equation similar to Newton's second law where:
A) is the total internal force and m is the total mass of the system
B) is the total internal force and m is the mass acting on the system
C) is the total external force and m is the total mass of the system
D) is the force of gravity and m is the mass of Earth
E) is the force of gravity and m is the total mass of the system

Question

The center of mass of a system of particles obeys an equation similar to Newton's second law  where:
A) is the total internal force and m is the total mass of the system 
B) is the total internal force and m is the mass acting on the system 
C) is the total external force and m is the total mass of the system 
D) is the force of gravity and m is the mass of Earth 
E) is the force of gravity and m is the total mass of the system

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The equation for the center of mass of a system of particles is 11eaafb8_0031_faa3_a7a5_05ddeb8a3d96_TB3150_11, where 11eaafb8_0032_21b6_a7a5_0faeb4abb63b_TB3150_11 is the total external force acting on the system and m is the total mass of the system. This equation is similar to Newton's second law, F=ma, where F is the net external force and m is the mass of the object. So the best choice is C.

The Center of Mass of a System of Particles Obeys