Newton's Second Law of Motion

Newton's second law of motion can be formally stated as follows:

The acceleration of an object as produced by a net force is directly proportional to the magnitude of the net force, in the same direction as the net force, and inversely proportional to the mass of the object.

The second law states that the acceleration of an object is dependent upon two variables - the net force acting upon the object and the mass of the object. The acceleration of an object depends ___ upon the net force acting upon the object, and ___ upon the mass of the object. As the force acting upon an object is increased, the acceleration of the object is increased. As the mass of an object is increased, the acceleration of the object is decreased.

directly; inversely

Fgrav (gravitational force; also known as weight) =

mass (m) * g where g = 9.8 N/kg (on Earth) and m = mass (in kg)

Fnet (net force) =

mass (m) • acceleration (a)

An acceleration is produced by a ___.

net force