What does Newton's second law state about the relationship between force, mass, and acceleration?

Prepare for the AQA GCSE Physics Paper 2 Exam. Study with interactive quizzes, detailed questions, and explanations. Boost your confidence and excel in your exam!

Newton's second law describes how the force acting on an object relates to its mass and the acceleration it experiences. Specifically, it states that the force acting on an object is equal to the mass of that object multiplied by its acceleration. This can be mathematically represented as Force = Mass x Acceleration.

This relationship indicates that for any given mass, an increase in the force applied will result in a proportional increase in acceleration. Conversely, for the same applied force, an increase in mass will result in a decrease in acceleration. Understanding this law is fundamental in physics as it helps predict how objects will move when subjected to various forces.

The other options do not accurately represent the relationship defined by Newton's second law, either misrepresenting the operations or the variables involved. For instance, adding mass and acceleration does not have a meaningful physical interpretation in this context, and dividing either acceleration or mass by the other does not reflect how force is determined according to Newton's principle.

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