Final answer:
Acceleration is directly proportional to net force and inversely proportional to mass. When two equal and opposite forces no longer balance out due to a change in one of them, the net force is no longer zero, leading to acceleration. The direction of acceleration is the same as the net force, and acceleration increases with increased force if the mass is constant.
Step-by-step explanation:
When we talk about forces and acceleration in the context of Newton's second law of motion, it is stated that acceleration is directly proportional to net force and inversely proportional to mass. This relationship is captured in the equation a = Fnet/m, where a represents acceleration, Fnet represents the net force, and m represents mass. If equal and opposite forces act upon an object, resulting in no net force, there will be no acceleration, implying a state of equilibrium. However, if the magnitude of one of the forces changes, the net force will no longer be zero, and the object will accelerate in the direction of the resultant net force.
For instance, when two teams play tug of war and pull with equal force, there is no movement, no net force, and therefore no acceleration. If one team suddenly pulls harder, the net force increases, causing acceleration in the direction of the stronger team. This is further explained by the concept that forces have magnitude and direction. If a force is increased while mass remains constant, we expect an increase in acceleration. If the mass is heavy, the same force would produce less acceleration due to its inverse relationship with mass.
Net Force and Acceleration
The direction of acceleration is always the same as that of the net force. For example, if a person is pushing a lawnmower forward and the force of the push exceeds the frictional force resisting the motion, the lawnmower will accelerate in the forward direction. Additionally, if there are vertical forces involved, e.g., gravity and normal force, and these are equal in magnitude but opposite in direction, they will cancel each other out, resulting in no vertical acceleration and maintaining horizontal motion only.