For an object to accelerate, there must be a net force acting on it. According to Newton's second law of motion, the acceleration of an object is directly proportional to the net force acting on it and inversely proportional to its mass, expressed mathematically as:
\[ F = m \cdot a \]
Where:
- \( F \) is the net force,
- \( m \) is the mass of the object, and
- \( a \) is the acceleration.
Therefore, in order for an object to accelerate, either the net force applied to it must increase, or the mass of the object must decrease (assuming no change in the force). If the net force increases while the mass remains constant, the object's acceleration will increase. Conversely, if the mass increases while the force remains constant, acceleration will decrease.