Newton's Second Law of Motion - Force and Acceleration

Why do all freely falling objects fall with the same acceleration?

All freely falling objects fall with the same acceleration because the net force on an object is only its weight, and the ratio of weight to mass is the same for all objects.

How does an increase in mass affect acceleration?

For a constant force, an increase in the mass will result in a decrease in the acceleration.

How does the area of contact affect the pressure a force exerts on an object?

For a contact force, an increase in area of contact will result in a decrease in the pressure.

Newton's second law

Newton's second law states that the acceleration produced by a net force on an object is directly proportioned to the magnitude of the net force, is in the same direction of the net force, and is inversely proportioned to the mass of the object.

What factors determine the air resistance force on an object?

The air resistance force an object experiences depends on the object's speed and area.

What factors affect the force of friction between surfaces?

The force of friction between the surfaces depends on the kinds of material in contact and how much the surfaces are pressed together.

What causes an object to accelerate?

Unbalanced forces acting on an object cause the object to accelerate.

terminal velocity

terminal speed together with the direction of motion

pressure

the amount of force per unit of area

terminal speed

the speed at which the acceleration of a falling object is zero because friction balances the weight

inversely

the two values change in opposite directions