Law of Motion: Understanding Velocity Change

Which object would experience a greater magnitude of velocity change: a more massive Madeleine or a less massive Buffy?

Based on Newton's second law, explain why this is the case.

The greater magnitude of velocity change would be experienced by the less massive Buffy.

Since Buffy has less mass than Madeleine, it would require less force to change her velocity. Additionally, Buffy's smaller mass means that she has a lower inertia, making her more responsive to changes in force.

Newton's second law of motion states that force equals mass times acceleration. This means that the force required to change an object's velocity is directly proportional to its mass. In this case, Buffy, being less massive than Madeleine, would experience a greater change in velocity when subjected to the same force.

Massive objects have higher inertia, which is the resistance to changes in motion. Madeleine's greater mass results in a higher inertia, making it more difficult to change her velocity compared to Buffy. On the other hand, Buffy's lower mass means that she has lower inertia and is more easily affected by external forces.

Therefore, when the same force is applied to both Madeleine and Buffy, Buffy would exhibit a greater magnitude of velocity change due to her lower mass and inertia.