What is the effect of an unbalanced force on an object?

An unbalanced force acting on an object results in a net force that changes the object's state of motion. According to Newton's second law of motion, when a net force is applied to an object, it causes the object to accelerate in the direction of that net force. This acceleration can lead to a change in the object’s velocity, which may involve increasing speed, decreasing speed, or changing direction.

When a force is balanced, such as when multiple forces acting on an object cancel each other out, the object does not accelerate and either remains at rest or continues moving at a constant velocity. However, an unbalanced force disrupts this equilibrium, clearly affecting the object’s motion and causing it to respond accordingly—this is fundamental to understanding dynamics in physics.