Here's why:
* 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. Mathematically, this is expressed as:
* F = ma (where F is force, m is mass, and a is acceleration)
* Direction: Force and acceleration are vector quantities, meaning they have both magnitude and direction. The direction of acceleration is always the same as the direction of the net force.
Therefore, if the net force is negative, the acceleration will also be negative.
Example:
Imagine an object moving to the right (positive direction). If a force is applied to the left (negative direction), the object will slow down and eventually start moving to the left. This is because the net force and resulting acceleration are both in the negative direction.
