A force acts on an object which is free to move. If we know the magnitude of the force and the mass of the object then Newton’s second law of motion enables us to determine the object’s ________.

Explanation:

• 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 in a body is due to an unbalanced force, this can be explained by the first two of Newton's laws of motion
• According to Newton's first law of motion, an object continues to be in a state of rest or of motion until an external and unbalanced force is applied to it
• According to Newton's second law of motion, the force is equal to the change in the rate of momentum, that is,

Initial momentum = mu

Final momentum = mv

Force = Change in the rate of momentum given by:

\(F=\frac{mv-mu}{t}=m(\frac{v-u}{t})=ma\)

Here, m is the mass of the object

u is the initial velocity is the velocity after time t

a is the acceleration

Therefore, acceleration in the body is due to the unbalanced force.