Chapter 4, Problem 10TE

Suppose two carts, one twice as massive as the other, fly apart when the compressed spring that joins is released. How fast does the heavier cart roll compared to the lighter cart.

To determine

The acceleration of the heavier cart as compared to the lighter cart.

Answer to Problem 10TE

The acceleration of the heavier cart will be half as compared to the lighter cart.

Explanation of Solution

From the expression of Newton’s second law, the acceleration of a body has an inverse relation with the mass of the body. This means that the object having less mass will have greater acceleration as compared to the acceleration of a heavier mass object, if the applied force is the same for both.

In the given case, if it is considered that the force applied by the spring on both the cart is the same. Then, by Newton’s second law, it can be said that the lighter cart will move twice fast as compared to the heavier cart.

Conclusion:

Therefore, the acceleration of the heavier cart will be half as compared to the lighter cart.