How does increasing the mass of an elephant affect its acceleration when the force applied is constant?

When considering how an increase in mass affects acceleration under constant force, it's important to refer to Newton's second law of motion, which states that the net force acting on an object is equal to the mass of the object multiplied by its acceleration (F = ma). From this relationship, we can deduce that acceleration is directly proportional to the net force and inversely proportional to the mass of the object (a = F/m).

In this scenario, if the mass of the elephant increases while the force applied remains constant, the acceleration must decrease. This is because, as mass increases, there is a larger denominator in the equation a = F/m, which leads to a smaller value for acceleration. Thus, with a greater mass, the same amount of force will produce less acceleration.

This principle is fundamental in physics as it illustrates the inverse relationship between mass and acceleration when the force applied does not change, resulting in less acceleration proportional to the increase in mass.