What is force
In simple words, force is a use push or a pull that acts upon an object.
We can classify the force into major categories which are contact force and noncontact force.
Contact forces
They are the forces in which physical contact is required between the objects to push or pull. For example, our car tires apply force on the road to move the car ahead.
Non-contact
These are the forces by which an object can push or pull another object from a distance without physical contact. For example, a magnet can attract an iron clip from a distance. Another example is the free fall of any object due to the gravity of Earth.
Formula of force
From Newton's second law, the formula of force is
F=m * a
Where
- F is a force acting on an object,
- m is the mass of the object,
- a is the acceleration experienced by the object
How to calculate the force
When the mass and acceleration of the object are given then to calculate the force acting on the object we use Newton's second law of motion which gives the relation between force mass and acceleration F=ma. Here is the step-by-step guide with examples-
- Step 1- determine the mass (m) of the object. Make sure the mass is in the SI unit.
- Step 2- Determine the acceleration experienced by the object. Make sure the unit of acceleration is in SI units.
- Step 3- apply the formula and put the mass and acceleration value in the equation F=ma.
- Step 4- Multiply the mass by the acceleration, you have force acting on that object and the unit of force will be Newton.
Example
Let's suppose that a bike with a mass of 150 kg is accelerating at the rate of 2 meter per second square to calculate the force acting on the bike we use the above steps.
The mass of the object is 150 kg and the acceleration is 2 meter per second square so by the formula.
F=m * a
F=150 kg * 2 m/s²
F=300 N
Therefore the force acting on the bike is 300 Newton.
How to use the online force calculator
you have to follow these steps
- In "Mass" type the value of the mass and choose the appropriate units.
- In "Acceleration" type the value of the acceleration and choose the appropriate units.
- Click the "Calculate" button.
- The calculated force will appear in the "Force" field.
- You can change the unit for the force from the dropdown menu it will update the result in real-time.
- To clear the input fields and start a new calculation, click the "Clear" button.
Conclusion
When we have the mass and acceleration of an object we use Newton's second law to calculate the force acting on an object. Here you can use the online force calculate to make your calculation journey easy.