Suppose a cart is being moved by a certain
net force.
If the net force is increased by a factor
of 6.5, by what factor does its acceleration
change?

Question

Suppose a cart is being moved by a certain
net force.
If the net force is increased by a factor
of 6.5, by what factor does its acceleration
change?

matt101 · Answer

By Newton's Second Law, F=ma. If you increase the net force by 6.5 times, so that you have 6.5F on the left side, the right side must also increase by a factor of 6.5 to keep the equation balanced. Since the mass of the object will stay the same regardless of the force being exerted, the acceleration is the only thing that can absorb this increase. Therefore, If the net force is increased by a factor of 6.5, the acceleration will increase by that same amount.