Question

explain why a 40 kg cheetah must exert a bigger force to change directions than a 15 kg gazelle.

Explanation:

According to Newton's second - law of motion, force \(F = ma\) (where \(m\) is mass and \(a\) is acceleration). When changing directions, assume similar accelerations for both the cheetah and the gazelle. Since the cheetah has a greater mass (\(m_{cheetah}=40\ kg\) and \(m_{gazelle}=15\ kg\)), a greater force is required to achieve the same acceleration for changing directions.

Answer:

A 40 kg cheetah has more mass than a 15 kg gazelle. According to Newton's second - law \(F = ma\), with similar accelerations for changing directions, the cheetah needs a bigger force due to its larger mass.