According to Newton's Second Law, if the mass of an object is doubled while keeping the force constant, what happens to its acceleration?

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Dive into the AST2002 Astronomy Midterm at UCF. Enhance your understanding through engaging flashcards and insightful multiple-choice questions. Prepare effectively and boost your confidence for this academic challenge!

In the context of Newton's Second Law, which states that force equals mass times acceleration (F = ma), if the mass of an object is doubled while the applied force remains constant, the acceleration must decrease.

To understand this, rearranging the formula gives us acceleration (a) as a function of force (F) and mass (m):

a = F / m.

If you double the mass (now 2m) and keep the force (F) constant, the new equation for acceleration becomes:

a' = F / (2m).

This indicates that the new acceleration (a') is half of the original acceleration (a), because with a greater mass, the same force results in less acceleration. As a result, the acceleration is indeed halved. This principle reflects a fundamental aspect of mechanics: greater mass resists changes in motion, which is why a larger mass leads to a lower acceleration when the force is unchanged.