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Homework Statement
Use the concepts of momentum and Newton’s second law to explain why a motorcycle can accelerate at a greater rate than a large truck.
Homework Equations
The Attempt at a Solution
The motorcycle will accelerate at a greater rate because the truck has a greater mass (greater resistance to a change in speed.) This increased rate of acceleration is mathematically proven by the formula a= F/m, which states acceleration is inversely proportional to the mass. In terms of momentum, a mass that experiences a change in velocity (acceleration) has undergone a change in momentum (impulse). As the mass of the motorcycle is smaller, it will take less force and time to move it, thus increasing it's rate of acceleration.
Is that a sufficient answer?