What happens to an object when it is acted upon by an external force according to Newton's laws?

When an object is acted upon by an external force, it accelerates according to Newton's second law of motion. This law states that the acceleration of an object is directly proportional to the net force acting upon it and inversely proportional to its mass, expressed mathematically as F = ma (force equals mass times acceleration). This means that any external force will cause the object to change its velocity, which includes changes in speed or direction.

By focusing on the concept of acceleration, it becomes clear that any non-zero force will result in a change in the object's state of motion, whether that means speeding up, slowing down, changing direction, or some combination of these changes. Acceleration is the key result of the application of an external force, clearly aligning with the principles outlined in Newton's laws.