Let’s look at the same equation with the units of mass and acceleration in it:
Force (F) = (kilograms)(meter/second2)
Just as there are units of measurement for acceleration and mass, there is a unit of measurement used for force. These are called newtons in honor of Newton’s accomplishments. You learned before that when we are talking about the force of gravity, on Earth a newton is about the same weight as 100 grams. However, we are going to learn more specifically what this unit of measurement is when it is used to measure other forces besides gravity. One newton is defined as the force needed to give a 1 kg mass an acceleration of 1 meter per second squared. In symbols, one newton would be:
1 newton = 1 kg × m/s2
So, if you are calculating force, and you are working with kilograms and the standard unit of acceleration (m/s2), the answer will automatically be in newtons.
