What has acceleration to do with force?

Question

They say force is a pull or a push capable of changing the state of inertia? Does this explain that acceleration is capable of changing the state of inertia .Or perhaps my definition for force is incorrect.Please help me to understand acceleration and force very wel.

Answer 1

force = mass * acceleration

Answer 2

Force is what causes acceleration.  Acceleration does not change the state of inertia, acceleration IS the change in the inertial state.  When you apply a force to something it will accelerate in the direction of the force according to the formula FORCE=MASSxACCELERATION; thus, the greater the force, the greater the acceleration; the smaller the mass, the greater the acceleration with the same force.  

An object with no forces acting upon it is in an inertial state; it will continue with whatever relative motion it has until acted upon by any force in which case it will accelerate in the direction of the force and its inertial state is altered.  Note that "acceleration in the direction of the force" may from a practical standpoint simply amount to deceleration, for example, an object flying through the air and being slowed down by wind resistance.

Answer 3

You're saying the right things, but I don't think the concept has completely crystalized for you.  Hopefully this will help.

First, let's define inertia.  Inertia just says that something tends continue doing what it was doing.  A ball at rest will stay at rest unless something happens.  Easy enough.  A ball that's rolling will continue rolling unless something happens.  But wait, in the real world balls don't roll forever.  That's because in the real world you have wind resistance, little hills, and ground friction that contstantly slow the ball.  They are applying forces against the ball's motion, so the ball slows and eventually stops.  Remove those and the ball will roll much longer.

So the soccer ball is at rest and someone kicks it.  The applied force changes its speed from zero to some speed.  That speed is proportional to the force of the kick.  Inertia kept the ball at rest until it was kicked.  Inertia also keeps the ball moving while it's moving.  Again, inertia just says it keeps on doing what it's doing.

If you don't get this concept, don't feel bad.  The brilliant Aristotle never understood this.  But then, he never figured out how to hookup DSL, either.