Understanding the Concepts

* Newton's Second Law: This law states that the force (F) acting on an object is equal to its mass (m) times its acceleration (a): F = m * a

* Force and Acceleration: Force causes acceleration. A larger force produces a larger acceleration, and a larger mass requires a larger force to achieve the same acceleration.

Calculations

1. Identify the knowns:

* Mass (m) = 0.5 kg

* Force (F) = 25 N

2. Rearrange Newton's Second Law to solve for acceleration:

* a = F / m

3. Substitute the values and calculate:

* a = 25 N / 0.5 kg

* a = 50 m/s²

Answer

The acceleration of the softball is 50 m/s².