Force Calculator

Newton's Laws of Motion

Force is a fundamental concept in classical mechanics. Newton's second law of motion states that the net force acting on an object is equal to the product of its mass and acceleration. This relationship, expressed as F = ma, is one of the most important equations in physics and forms the foundation of dynamics.

Newton's Three Laws

• First Law (Inertia): An object at rest stays at rest, and an object in motion stays in motion at constant velocity, unless acted upon by a net external force.
• Second Law (F = ma): The acceleration of an object is directly proportional to the net force acting on it and inversely proportional to its mass.
• Third Law (Action-Reaction): For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.

Key Formulas

• F = ma — Net force equals mass times acceleration
• W = mg — Weight equals mass times gravitational acceleration
• f = μN — Friction force equals coefficient of friction times normal force
• F_net = ΣF — Net force is the vector sum of all forces

Common Types of Forces

Real-World Examples

Understanding force is essential in engineering, sports science, and everyday life. Here are some practical applications:

• A 1,500 kg car accelerating at 3 m/s² requires a net force of 4,500 N
• An 80 kg person weighs about 784 N on Earth but only 130 N on the Moon
• A 0.145 kg baseball pitched at 40 m/s and stopped in 0.01 s experiences about 580 N of force
• The friction force on a 50 kg box (μ = 0.4) on a flat surface is approximately 196 N

References

The formulas and physical constants used in this calculator are based on established physics principles and verified sources:

• NASA Glenn Research Center - Newton's Second Law of Motion
• Khan Academy - Forces and Newton's Laws of Motion
• NIST - Standard Acceleration of Gravity
• OpenStax University Physics - Forces (Chapter 5)
• HyperPhysics - Newton's Laws

Related Calculators