Understanding the Concepts

* Newton's Second Law of Motion: This law states that the acceleration of an object is directly proportional to the net force acting on it and inversely proportional to its mass. The equation is: F = ma

* F = Force (in Newtons, N)

* m = Mass (in kilograms, kg)

* a = Acceleration (in meters per second squared, m/s²)

Solving the Problem

1. Identify the given values:

* Force (F) = 68.6 N

* Mass (m) = 7 kg

2. Rearrange the formula to solve for acceleration:

* a = F / m

3. Substitute the values and calculate:

* a = 68.6 N / 7 kg

* a = 9.8 m/s²

Answer: The acceleration of the 7 kg mass is 9.8 m/s².

Important Note: The acceleration you calculated is very close to the acceleration due to gravity on Earth. This is because the force applied (68.6 N) is likely the force of gravity acting on the mass.