Which law states that a force applied to an object causes acceleration proportional to the force and inversely proportional to the mass of the object?

The correct response, which refers to the principle that a force applied to an object causes acceleration proportional to the force and inversely proportional to the mass, aligns with the concept known as Newton's Second Law of Motion. This law asserts that the acceleration of an object varies directly with the net force acting on it and inversely with its mass. In mathematical terms, this relationship can be represented by the equation F = ma, where F is the force applied, m is the mass of the object, and a is the resulting acceleration. This principle is fundamental in understanding how objects behave under the influence of various forces in both everyday situations and more complex physical systems.

The options referencing the Law of Conservation of Momentum and the Law of Universal Gravitation relate to different concepts within physics. The Law of Conservation of Momentum deals with the preservation of momentum in closed systems, while the Law of Universal Gravitation describes the attractive force between two masses. Newton's First Law, which states that an object at rest stays at rest unless acted upon by an external force, outlines the concept of inertia rather than the direct relationship between force, mass, and acceleration.