What does Newton's second law state?

Newton's second law of motion describes the relationship between the net external force acting on an object, its mass, and the acceleration that it experiences as a result. The law is mathematically expressed as F = m x a, where F represents the net external force acting on an object, m stands for the mass of the object, and a is the acceleration produced by that force.

This relationship indicates that the acceleration of an object is directly proportional to the net force acting upon it and inversely proportional to its mass. Therefore, if a greater force is applied to an object, it will accelerate more significantly, depending on the object's mass. Conversely, if the object has more mass, a greater force will be required to achieve the same acceleration.

This foundational principle is at the core of classical mechanics and is key to understanding how objects move and respond to forces in a physical environment. The mathematical expression accurately encapsulates the essence of the law and is used extensively in various applications within physics and engineering.