If two objects experience the same force, the object with greater mass will experience what change in motion?

• A. Larger change
• B. Smaller change
• C. No change
• D. Change depends on direction

Answer: (B)

When both objects are pushed with the same force, they don’t change motion by the same amount because acceleration depends on mass. The rule a = F/m means that for the same push, the lighter object experiences a larger acceleration, while the heavier object has a smaller acceleration. In other words, the heavier object resists the push more (more inertia), so its change in motion is smaller, even though the force is the same. The direction of the motion change points in the same direction as the push for both objects; it’s the size of that change that differs.