The net force gives a body an acceleration that is directly proportional to the force and inversely proportional to the mass.
Symbols
F
net force
[N]
m
mass
[kg]
a
acceleration
[m/s²]
Where it comes from
The greater the force, the greater the acceleration; the heavier the body, the harder it is to speed up. When the net force is zero, the body does not accelerate (Newton's first law).
When to use it
Whenever an unbalanced force acts. F is the **net** force — the vector sum of all forces acting on the body.
Example
A force of 20 N acts on a body of mass 4 kg. Find the acceleration.