What factors define an object's motion

An applied force affects the motion of an object. An applied force can be a push, pull, or dragging on an object.

The push can come from direct contact, like when objects collide or from a force field like magnetism. The pull seems to only come from a field at a distance, like gravity or magnetism. Dragging can occur when sliding an object over the surface of another.

The action from a force can cause an object to move or speed up (accelerate), to slow down (decelerate), to stop, or to change direction. Since any change in velocity is considered acceleration, it can be said that a force on an object results in the acceleration of an object.