Mass and acceleration are related in what way under constant force?

• A. Directly related
• B. Inversely related
• C. Unrelated
• D. Proportional to velocity

Answer: (B)

When a constant net force acts on an object, acceleration follows a = F/m. This means acceleration is inversely related to mass: for the same push, a larger mass gives a smaller acceleration, and a smaller mass gives a larger acceleration. This happens because more mass resists changes in motion (inertia), so the same force produces less change in velocity for a heavier object. For example, push a light cart and a heavy cart with the same force—the light cart speeds up more quickly. Velocity describes how fast something is moving at a moment, but acceleration is about how quickly that speed changes, so it depends on mass and force, not on velocity itself. If mass doubles while the force stays the same, acceleration halves; if mass halves, acceleration doubles.