Final answer:
Newton's second law of motion states that the force acting on an object is equal to its mass times its acceleration, expressed as F = ma, indicating the relationship between force, mass, and acceleration. C) The amount of force acting on an object is equal to its mass times its acceleration.
Step-by-step explanation:
Newton's second law of motion states: 'The amount of force acting on an object is equal to its mass times its acceleration.' In other words, the law can be expressed by the equation F = ma, where F is the force applied to an object, m is the mass of the object, and a is the acceleration of the object. This law implies that the acceleration of an object is directly proportional to the net force acting on the object and inversely proportional to the object's mass. Examples in Everyday Motion If you apply the same force to two objects with different masses, the object with smaller mass will accelerate more than the one with greater mass. Think of pushing a toy car versus pushing a real car. The toy car, with its smaller mass, will accelerate much more quickly than the real car with the same amount of applied force.