Newton's Second Law Flashcards

All 6 cards in this deck

State Newton's second law as an equation, with units.

force (N) = mass (kg) × acceleration (m/s$^2$), i.e. $F = m \times a$

Which force is used as $F$ in $F = m \times a$?

The resultant (net) force on the object.

What are the steps to find the acceleration of an object from the force on it and its mass?

e.g. a resultant force of $12$ N on a mass of $4$ kg

1. Rearrange $F = m \times a$ to $a = F \div m$
2. Substitute: $a = 12 \div 4$
3. Acceleration $= 3$ m/s$^2$

What are the steps to use $F = m \times a$ when the mass is given in grams?

e.g. a mass of $500$ g accelerating at $2$ m/s$^2$

1. Convert grams to kilograms by dividing by $1000$: $500$ g $= 0.5$ kg
2. Substitute into $F = m \times a$: $F = 0.5 \times 2$
3. Force $= 1$ N

For a constant mass, how does acceleration change if the resultant force is doubled?

The acceleration also doubles — acceleration is directly proportional to resultant force.

True or false? For a constant resultant force, a larger mass gives a larger acceleration.

False. Acceleration is inversely proportional to mass, so a larger mass accelerates less.