Newton's Second Law (F=ma)
Definition
Newton's Second Law states that the acceleration of an object is directly proportional to the net force acting on it and inversely proportional to its mass. In simpler terms, it explains how the motion of an object changes when a force is applied to it.
Analogy
Imagine you're pushing a shopping cart with different amounts of force. The harder you push (net force), the faster the cart accelerates. Similarly, if you push two carts with the same force but one is heavier (greater mass), the lighter cart will accelerate more.
Related terms
Vector Quantity: A vector quantity has both magnitude and direction. In Newton's Second Law, both force and acceleration are vector quantities because they have specific magnitudes and directions.
Net Force: Net force refers to the overall or total force acting on an object. It takes into account all forces acting on an object and determines its resulting acceleration according to Newton's Second Law.
Mass: Mass is a measure of how much matter an object contains. In Newton's Second Law, mass affects how much an object accelerates when a certain net force is applied to it.
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