When a body accelerates due to an unbalanced force, what will the acceleration be proportional to?

Study for the ABSA 4th Class Power Engineer Test. Explore questions with hints and explanations. Get ready to ace the exam!

In accordance with Newton's second law of motion, the acceleration of a body is directly proportional to the net unbalanced force acting on it and inversely proportional to its mass. This principle highlights that the greater the unbalanced force applied to an object, the greater the acceleration experienced by that object. The mathematical representation of this relationship is expressed as ( F = ma ), where ( F ) is the unbalanced force, ( m ) is the mass of the body, and ( a ) is the acceleration.

Thus, when assessing the question regarding the relationship between acceleration and unbalanced force, it is clear that the acceleration will increase with an increase in the magnitude of the unbalanced force acting on the object. This understanding is pivotal in fields such as physics and engineering, where analyzing motion requires a clear comprehension of how forces affect acceleration.

The other options do not accurately reflect this relationship. For example, acceleration is not inherently proportional to the mass of the body since mass factors into the calculation of acceleration based on the force applied. Acceleration is not determined by the distance traveled, as distance and acceleration relate differently in kinematics. Lastly, while the direction of motion can alter the acceleration vector, it does not determine the magnitude of acceleration itself

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