Newton's Second Law of Motion

Newton's Second Law of Motion states that the acceleration of an object is directly proportional to the net force acting on it and inversely proportional to its mass. This can be represented by the formula:

center;">F = ma

Where:

• F = net force acting on the object (in Newtons)
• m = mass of the object (in kilograms)
• a = acceleration of the object (in meters per second squared)

This means that the greater the force applied to an object, the greater its acceleration will be. Similarly, the greater the mass of an object, the smaller its acceleration will be for the same amount of force applied.

Study Guide

1. What is the formula for Newton's Second Law of Motion?

F = ma

2. What does each variable in the formula represent?

F = net force acting on the object (in Newtons)

m = mass of the object (in kilograms)

a = acceleration of the object (in meters per second squared)

3. How is acceleration related to force and mass according to Newton's Second Law?

Acceleration is directly proportional to the net force acting on the object and inversely proportional to its mass.