Question

Two closed containers look the same, but one is packed with lead and the other with a few feathers. How could you determine which has more mass if you and the containers were orbiting in a weightless condition in outer space?

Answer 1

If both containers are pushed with equal force, the one moving faster would have less mass

Answer 2

We can determine the object with more mass by applying equal force to both objects, the more massive object will accelerate less.

According to Newton's second law of motion, the force applied to an object is directly proportional to the product of the mass and acceleration of the object.

F = ma

$a = \frac{F}{m}$

where;

• a is the acceleration of the objects
• m is the mass of the object
• F is the applied force

At equal force, the object with less mass will accelerate more.

Thus, we can determine the object with more mass by applying equal force to both objects, the more massive object will accelerate less.

Learn more about Newton's second law of motion here: https://brainly.com/question/25307325