Yes, the quantity mass times acceleration is a force. This is a fundamental principle in physics known as Newton's Second Law of Motion.

Newton's Second Law of Motion states:

> The acceleration of an object is directly proportional to the net force acting on the object, and inversely proportional to its mass.

Mathematically, this is represented as:

F = m * a

Where:

* F is the net force acting on the object

* m is the mass of the object

* a is the acceleration of the object

Therefore, mass times acceleration (m * a) is the quantity that defines the force acting on an object.