What term describes the application of force over time?

The term that best describes the application of force over time is acceleration. Acceleration is defined as the rate of change of velocity per unit of time, and it arises when a net force is applied to an object. According to Newton's second law of motion, force is equal to mass times acceleration (F = ma), indicating that the effect of force can result in an increase in the object's speed or a change in its direction.

In this context, when a force is continuously applied over time, it leads to a change in the velocity of an object, which is inherently connected to the concept of acceleration. This distinguishes it from other options. For instance, velocity refers to the speed of an object in a specific direction, while momentum represents the quantity of motion an object has, calculated as the product of mass and velocity. Displacement, on the other hand, is defined as the shortest distance from the initial to the final position of an object. Each of these terms describes different aspects of motion and force, with acceleration specifically tying the idea of force being applied over time to the resulting change in velocity.