Newton's second law
From /guides/energy-forces-and-motion:
F = m * a - the net force on an object equals its mass times its
acceleration. Rearranged, more mass needs more force for the same
acceleration; the formula is the receipt for the "shove an empty cart vs. a
full one" intuition.
The starter expression shows the shape with small numbers - swap in this
lesson's real ones.
Your task: a 1200 kg car needs to accelerate at 2.5 m/s². Using
F = m * a, what net force (in newtons) does that take?
You'll practice:
- Substituting real values into F = m * a
- Reading a physics formula as "multiply these two together," not algebra to solve
Related reading: How forces change motion →