What law states that Force equals mass times acceleration?

What law states that Force equals mass times acceleration?

• A. Newton's First Law (Inertia)
• B. Newton's Second Law (F = ma)
• C. Ohm's Law
• D. Boyle's Law

Answer: (B)

The key idea here is how force, mass, and acceleration relate to each other. Force equals mass times acceleration, which is Newton’s Second Law. This means the acceleration an object experiences is determined by how hard you push (the force) and how heavy the object is (the mass). If you push with the same force on a lighter object, it speeds up more; if you push the same force on a heavier object, it speeds up less. Mathematically, a = F/m, so doubling the force doubles the acceleration, while doubling the mass halves the acceleration (for the same force). The unit of force, the newton, is defined as one kilogram-meter per second squared, reinforcing the connection between these quantities. This law specifically describes the cause-and-effect relationship between how much force is applied and how the velocity changes, given the object's mass. The other laws refer to different phenomena—inertia, electrical relationships, or gas behavior—and don’t define how force produces motion.

The key idea here is how force, mass, and acceleration relate to each other. Force equals mass times acceleration, which is Newton’s Second Law. This means the acceleration an object experiences is determined by how hard you push (the force) and how heavy the object is (the mass). If you push with the same force on a lighter object, it speeds up more; if you push the same force on a heavier object, it speeds up less. Mathematically, a = F/m, so doubling the force doubles the acceleration, while doubling the mass halves the acceleration (for the same force). The unit of force, the newton, is defined as one kilogram-meter per second squared, reinforcing the connection between these quantities. This law specifically describes the cause-and-effect relationship between how much force is applied and how the velocity changes, given the object's mass. The other laws refer to different phenomena—inertia, electrical relationships, or gas behavior—and don’t define how force produces motion.