Question

Which of the following properties of a specific object will NOT vary?
A.) speed
B.) weight
C.) acceleration
D.) mass

Answer 1

Hi! Do you have any guesses? Could you start by process of elimination?

Answer 2

Hi! I dont think its speed, because force is speed/ mass
Or something like that.

Answer 3

Any force will tell you how much you can accelerate a mass. So what you're thinking of is that
force is mass times acceleration
or
\(F=ma\)

Think of a specific object. Like a bowl. There's a bowl sitting next to me. You can pick something sitting next to you if it's easier.

Can you change its speed?

Answer 4

Yes, because you can move it any direction right?

Answer 5

Right! You can throw it off of your desk. (That's where my bowl is now.)

Lets move on to weight. This is a tricky one. Weight is the force on an object due to gravity. So, it depends on gravity.
Now, can the weight of a bowl change? Think about it.

Answer 6

Not unless you put objects in the bowl right? The weight doesnt change.

Answer 7

Well, we're concerned with the bowl. If we put more things in the bowl, it will be heavier. But the weight of the bowl alone is the same. But what do you think about the weight of the bowl on another planet, or the moon?

Answer 8

It is 1/6 of the weight on the moon.

Answer 9

Probably something like that. I don't remember :P

So, the weight can change.

What about the acceleration?

Answer 10

Acceleration is speed increasing.

Answer 11

Right. Actually, maybe we should say "velocity increasing," because acceleration has directions. Like, gravity causes acceleration that is downward. Speed doesn't have direction, so change in speed can't be acceleration.

Anyway, acceleration can change to. Car manufactures brag about 0-60mph in 3 seconds, or something like that. Then the car is accelerating. The car can also sit still. Then acceleration can be zero. Need I say more?

What is your last option then?

Answer 12

Mass

Answer 13

There you go! Mass is constant for an object. It helps define that object. If you break it into two, then it's not really one object anymore, is it?

Answer 14

Take care!

Answer 15

Oh thank you sooooo much, i appreciate it more than you know!!!

Answer 16

Awesome! You're welcome. Take care! :)