What is Newton's second law of motion?

Newton's second law of motion is Force = Mass x Acceleration. What this states is that the acceleration of an object is dependent upon two variables, which are the net force acting upon the object and the mass of the object.

The Indianapolis Public Library provides an example of Newton's second law in action by comparing a marshmallow to a bowling ball. It takes more strength to push a bowling ball one foot than it does to push a marshmallow one foot, which demonstrates that the heavier the object, the more force it takes to make that object speed up or slow down.