Force Calculator

What is force?

Force is a push or a pull that can change an object's motion. Newton's second law sums it up neatly: the force on an object equals its mass times its acceleration. The heavier something is, or the faster you want to accelerate it, the more force you need.

Force is measured in newtons. One newton is the force needed to accelerate a one kilogram mass at one metre per second squared.

How to use this calculator

1. Enter the mass of the object in kilograms, or use the unit shown by the calculator.
2. Enter the acceleration in meters per second squared.
3. Check that both values are in matching metric units before calculating.
4. Read the force result in newtons.

The formula explained

The formula \(F = m \times a\) computes force by multiplying mass by acceleration. It shows that more mass or more acceleration means more force.

• F = force, measured in newtons \(\text{N}\)
• m = mass, measured in kilograms \(\text{kg}\)
• a = acceleration, measured in meters per second squared \(\text{m/s}^2\)

Step by step method

1. Write down the mass \(m\) and acceleration \(a\).
2. Multiply them using \(F = m \times a\).
3. Make sure the units are \(\text{kg}\) for mass, \(\text{m/s}^2\) for acceleration, and \(\text{N}\) for force.

Worked example

Problem. A cart has a mass of \(8\,\text{kg}\) and accelerates at \(3\,\text{m/s}^2\). What force is acting on it?

1. Use \(F = m \times a\).
2. Substitute the values, \(F = 8 \times 3\).
3. Calculate the product, \(F = 24\,\text{N}\).

Tips and common mistakes

• Do not mix units, because mass should be in \(\text{kg}\) and acceleration in \(\text{m/s}^2\).
• If the acceleration is \(0\), the force is \(0\,\text{N}\), even when the object has mass.

Frequently asked questions