Which statement best explains why increasing net force increases acceleration according to Newton's second law?

Which statement best explains why increasing net force increases acceleration according to Newton's second law?

• A. Mass increases with force
• B. Acceleration is independent of force
• C. Because F = ma; for a given mass, larger F yields larger a
• D. Because force is always proportional to velocity

Answer: (C)

Newton's second law says that acceleration equals the net force acting on an object divided by its mass, a = F_net / m. This means how fast something speeds up depends on both how hard you push (the net force) and how heavy it is (the mass). If the mass stays the same and you increase the net force, the acceleration must increase as well, since you're dividing a bigger force by the same mass. That’s why the explanation “Because F = ma; for a given mass, larger F yields larger a” fits perfectly—the law links force and acceleration directly when mass is fixed. The other ideas don’t fit Newton's relation: acceleration isn’t independent of force, mass doesn’t automatically grow with force, and force isn’t generally described as proportional to velocity in this law.

Newton's second law says that acceleration equals the net force acting on an object divided by its mass, a = F_net / m. This means how fast something speeds up depends on both how hard you push (the net force) and how heavy it is (the mass). If the mass stays the same and you increase the net force, the acceleration must increase as well, since you're dividing a bigger force by the same mass. That’s why the explanation “Because F = ma; for a given mass, larger F yields larger a” fits perfectly—the law links force and acceleration directly when mass is fixed. The other ideas don’t fit Newton's relation: acceleration isn’t independent of force, mass doesn’t automatically grow with force, and force isn’t generally described as proportional to velocity in this law.