Which law explains why a wagon with more mass requires more force to achieve the same acceleration?

Which law explains why a wagon with more mass requires more force to achieve the same acceleration?

• A. Newton's First Law of Motion
• B. Newton's Second Law of Motion
• C. Newton's Third Law of Motion
• D. Law of Gravity

Answer: (B)

The main idea is the relationship between force, mass, and acceleration. Newton’s second law says that the net force on an object equals its mass times its acceleration (F = m a). If you want the same acceleration for a wagon, the force must increase in proportion to the mass. So, doubling the wagon’s mass means you must double the net force to achieve the same acceleration. This reflects inertia—the bigger the mass, the more resistance to speeding up. The other laws don’t describe this exact link: the first law is about continued motion when no net force acts, the third law is about action–reaction pairs, and gravity is a downward force due to mass, not the rule that connects force to mass and acceleration in a neutral, horizontal push.

The main idea is the relationship between force, mass, and acceleration. Newton’s second law says that the net force on an object equals its mass times its acceleration (F = m a). If you want the same acceleration for a wagon, the force must increase in proportion to the mass. So, doubling the wagon’s mass means you must double the net force to achieve the same acceleration. This reflects inertia—the bigger the mass, the more resistance to speeding up.

The other laws don’t describe this exact link: the first law is about continued motion when no net force acts, the third law is about action–reaction pairs, and gravity is a downward force due to mass, not the rule that connects force to mass and acceleration in a neutral, horizontal push.