How is acceleration calculated according to Newton's laws?

Acceleration is calculated using Newton's second law of motion, which states that the force acting on an object is equal to the mass of the object multiplied by its acceleration. This relationship can be expressed with the formula:

[ F = m \cdot a ]

where ( F ) represents force, ( m ) is mass, and ( a ) is acceleration. By rearranging this equation to solve for acceleration, you get:

[ a = \frac{F}{m} ]

This indicates that acceleration is directly proportional to the force applied and inversely proportional to the mass of the object. Thus, if a certain amount of force is applied to an object, a larger mass will result in less acceleration, while a smaller mass will result in greater acceleration, assuming the same amount of force is applied. This fundamental principle of motion is at the core of classical mechanics and explains how different forces impact the acceleration of objects based on their mass.