1.17 Force, mass and acceleration
Force, mass and acceleration are linked by F equals ma, so unbalanced force produces acceleration depending on mass and direction.
- Syllabus
- 2024
- Objective
- 1.17
- Level
- —
Exam analysis
Chance of appearing20%of analysed past papers
Latest appearanceNovember 2024
Most common paperPaper1PR
Typical marks2–4
Common command terms
- State
- Calculate
- Explain
Scoring notes
- Common mistake
- Forgetting to convert millinewtons to newtons before using F equals ma.
Recent exam appearances
November 2024Paper2P [null] · TZ06(b)(iv)[ 4 ]1.17 Force, mass and acceleration
June 2022Paper1PR [null] · TZ04(b)(v)[ 2 ]1.17 Force, mass and acceleration
Jan 2021Paper2P [null] · TZ08(c)(i)[ 3 ]1.17 Force, mass and acceleration
Jan 2021Paper1PR [null] · TZ05(b)(iii)[ 2 ]1.17 Force, mass and acceleration
Jan 2021Paper1PR [null] · TZ05(b)(ii)[ 1 ]1.17 Force, mass and acceleration
Practice this objective
Coverage 2019–2024 · Updated 16 Jul 2026
1.17 Force, mass and acceleration
Know and use unbalanced force = mass × acceleration, F = ma.
Concept essentials
- Resultant force equals mass multiplied by acceleration.
- Acceleration can be found by dividing resultant force by mass.
- A larger mass gives a smaller acceleration when the resultant force is unchanged.
- The acceleration direction follows the direction of the resultant force.
- Millinewtons and standard-form values must be converted consistently before calculation.