Newton's second law of motion is most generally stated as
- A. force equals mass times velocity
- B. force equals the rate of change of momentum
- C. force equals mass times distance
- D. force equals momentum times time
Explanation
The general statement is that the net force equals the rate of change of momentum, which reduces to F equal to ma only when the mass is constant. The general form is needed for a rocket, whose mass falls as fuel burns. Mass times velocity is momentum itself, not force.