Explain why a graph of acceleration versus the reciprocal of the total mass must pass through the origin when the net force is constant.

Expert Answers

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From Newton's Second Law we get

a = F/m  or

1/m = (1/F)a

If F is a non-zero constant, then (1/F) is also a constant.

Of the acceleration is zero, then

1/m =(1/F)*0 =0

This gives the ordered pair (a, 1/m) of )=( 0,0)

 

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