Final answer:
An unbalanced force is a force that is not counteracted by an equal and opposite force, causing an object to accelerate. Newton's second law describes this relationship with the formula Fnet = ma, dictating that an object's acceleration is proportional to the net force and inversely proportional to its mass.
Step-by-step explanation:
Understanding Unbalanced Forces and Motion
An unbalanced force occurs when the total force on an object is not equal to zero, thus causing the object to accelerate. When unbalanced forces act on an object, it will change its current state of motion, which could mean starting to move from rest, increasing speed, decreasing speed, changing direction, or a combination of these.
Newton's second law of motion, which can be stated as Fnet = ma, accurately describes the effects of different forces acting on objects. For instance, if you have different net external forces acting on the same object, they can produce different levels of acceleration depending on the magnitude and direction of the forces. Conversely, the same net force acting on objects with different masses will produce varying accelerations based on the object's mass.
In the case where constant, nonzero force is applied to an object, the object will continue to accelerate in the direction of the force, resulting in a continuous increase in velocity as long as the force remains constant. However, if a body is in dynamic equilibrium, that means it's moving at a constant velocity, implying that all the forces acting on it are balanced despite potentially being in motion.