GED Science TestPhysical ScienceMedium
A student is designing an experiment to investigate the relationship between the force applied to an object and its resulting acceleration. They plan to use a constant mass and vary the applied force. Which fundamental law of physics is this experiment designed to demonstrate?
- ANewton's Third Law of Motion
- BNewton's Second Law of Motion
- CLaw of Conservation of Energy
- DNewton's First Law of Motion
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: B. Newton's Second Law of Motion
Newton's Second Law of Motion directly describes the relationship between force, mass, and acceleration (F = ma). By varying force and keeping mass constant, the experiment directly tests this law.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Newton's Third Law deals with action-reaction pairs, not how force applied to a single object relates to its acceleration.
- C. The Law of Conservation of Energy states that energy cannot be created or destroyed, which is a broader concept than force and acceleration.
- D. Newton's First Law deals with inertia and objects in uniform motion or at rest, not the relationship between force and acceleration.
Newton's Second Law
Newton's Second Law of Motion states that the acceleration of an object is directly proportional to the net force acting on it and inversely proportional to its mass (F = ma).
- Force is a vector quantity.
- Acceleration is in the same direction as the net force.
- A larger force produces a larger acceleration for a given mass.
Memory trick: Newton's laws are like a 'motion trilogy' for objects.