Newton’s second law of motion states that when the forces acting on an object are unbalanced, the object will accelerate. This acceleration is dependent upon the net forces that act upon the object and the object’s mass. Using this law, acceleration can be calculated when a known force is acting on an object of known mass.  Newton’s law can be represented by the equation Fnet = m x a, where Fnet is the total force acting on the object, m is the object’s mass, and a is the acceleration of the object. When using this equation, keep your units in the metric system. Use kilograms (kg) for mass, newtons (N) for force, and meters per second squared (m/s2) for acceleration. To find the mass of an object, simply place it on a balance or scale and find its mass in grams. If you have a very large object, you may need to find a reference that can provide you with the mass. Larger objects will likely have a mass with the unit of kilograms (kg). For this equation, you will want to convert the mass into kilograms. If the mass you have is in grams simply divide that mass by 1000 to convert to kilograms. A net force is an unbalanced force. If you have two forces opposing each other and one is larger than the other, you will have a net force in the direction of the larger force. Acceleration happens when an unbalanced force acts on an object, causing it to change speeds towards the direction the force is pushing or pulling it.  For example: Let’s say you and your big brother are playing tug-of-war. You pull the rope to the left with a force of 5 newtons while your brother pulls the rope in the opposite direction with a force of 7 newtons. The net force on the rope is 2 newtons to the right, in the direction of your brother. In order to properly understand the units, know that 1 newton (N) is equal to 1 kilogram X meter/second squared (kg X m/s2). You can change this formula around to solve for acceleration by dividing both sides by the mass, so: a = F/m. To find the acceleration, simply divide the force by the mass of the object being accelerated.  Force is directly proportional to the acceleration, meaning that a greater force will lead to a greater acceleration. Mass is inversely proportional to acceleration, meaning that with a greater mass, the acceleration will decrease.

Summary:
Define Newton’s Second Law of Motion. Find the mass of your object. Calculate the net force acting on your object. Rearrange the equation F = ma to solve for acceleration.