AP Physics C: Mechanics
2.5 Newton’s Second Law
2.3 Newton’s Third Law
2.1 Systems and Center of Mass
Two unequal masses, \(m_1\) and \(m_2\) with \(m_1 > m_2\), are released from rest in deep space and interact solely through their mutual gravitational attraction. An observer in an inertial reference frame observes that both masses accelerate toward each other with different, time-dependent accelerations. Which of the following best explains why the center of mass of the two-mass system does not accelerate despite the individual masses experiencing non-zero accelerations?
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