How is force defined in physics and what does it really mean?

[csrichie]

I was wondering how exactly should i view physics.

Using force as an example:

How is it derived? Why is force defined as mass times acceleration rather than something else?

is force just a "thing" that cause an object to accelerate but what it is exactly is not an concern to physics (nor the question of whether or not a force is a thing).




thanks!

 

[mgb_phys]

Physics is a set of models about how things work.
It starts with simple models "moving objects keep moving" and progresses up to more complicated ones.
Why these models are correct is probably where it becomes philosphy.
These models used to be called laws (eg. Newton's law of Gravity) it's probbaly better to think of them as just models.