Question

what is newtons second law of motion in simple terms:

what goes up, must come down

the force applied and the objects mass are what create the net force

the acceleration of an object depends on the net force acting on it and its mass

the speed of two objects hitting one another is due to mass and acceleration

Explanation:

Newton's Second Law of Motion is \( F = ma \) (where \( F \) is net force, \( m \) is mass, and \( a \) is acceleration). This means acceleration (\( a=\frac{F}{m} \)) is directly proportional to net force and inversely proportional to mass.

• "What goes up, must come down" relates to gravity (more about Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation or basic motion concepts, not Second Law).
• "The force applied and the object’s mass are what create the net force" is incorrect phrasing. Net force is the cause, and mass and acceleration are related to it via \( F = ma \).
• "The acceleration of an object depends on the net force acting on it and its mass" aligns with \( a=\frac{F}{m} \) (from \( F = ma \)).
• "The speed of two objects hitting one another is due to mass and acceleration" is too vague and not a direct statement of the Second Law.

Answer:

The acceleration of an object depends on the net force acting on it and its mass.