In the context of Newton's Second Law, which expression correctly gives the net force on an object of mass $m$ accelerating at $a$?

• A. $F_{\mathrm{net}}=a-m$
• B. $F_{\mathrm{net}}=\frac{m}{a}$
• C. $F_{\mathrm{net}}=m+a$
• D. $F_{\mathrm{net}}=ma$

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Recall Newton's Second Law, which states that the net force acting on an object is equal to the mass of the object multiplied by its acceleration.
2. Express this relationship mathematically as \(\mathbf{F_{net} = m \times a}\), where \(F_{net}\) is the net force, \(m\) is the mass, and \(a\) is the acceleration.
3. Understand that the net force and acceleration are vector quantities, so the direction of the force is the same as the direction of the acceleration.
4. Evaluate the given options by checking if they correctly represent the multiplication of mass and acceleration without incorrect operations like division, subtraction, or addition.
5. Conclude that the correct expression for the net force is \(\mathbf{F_{net} = m a}\), which directly follows from Newton's Second Law.