Unit of Force

Force is one of the most fundamental concepts in physics. Force is measured in the unit “Newton.” Force can be measured by observing its effects on the object, such as acceleration, deformation, or work done. A unit of force is a standard amount of force that can be used as a reference to measure and communicate other forces.

There are different systems of units that define different units of force, such as the Newton in the SI system, the dyne in the CGS system, and the pound-force in the imperial system.

Definition of Force

Force is an external agent capable of changing a body’s state of rest or motion.

Force can be a push or a pull. It has both magnitude and direction, thus force is a vector quantity. There are two broad categories of forces: contact forces and non-contact force.

Examples of contact forces include frictional forces, tensional forces, and applied forces, while examples of non-contact force include gravitational forces, electromagnetic forces, and nuclear forces.

Read more about What is Force?.

Formula for Force

The formula for force according to Newton’s second law of motion is:

F = ma

Where F represents the force, m denotes the mass, and a stands for acceleration.

Note: Unit of mass and acceleration is Kg and m/s², thus force can be measured in Kg m/s².

What is Unit of Force?

Unit of Force is the Newton (N) in the International System of Units (SI).

One Newton is defined as the force required to accelerate one kilogram of mass at the rate of one meter per second squared in the direction of the applied force.

Note: Newton (N) is named after Sir Isaac Newton in recognition of his work on classical mechanics, specifically his second law of motion.

What is 1 Newton?

One Newton is defined as the force required to accelerate a one-kilogram mass by one meter per second squared.

1N = 1kg.m/s² = 10⁵dyne = 0.10197 kp = 0.22481 lbf = 7.2330 pdl

SI Unit of Force

International System of Units (SI) is a global standard for expressing the magnitudes or quantities of important natural phenomena. In SI system, unit of force is Newton (N).

1N = 1kg.m/s² = 10⁵dyne

Unit of Force in Other Systems

Some other units of force in different systems are:

Unit of Force	Symbol	Equivalent in Newtons (N)	Conversion Factor (to N)
Newton	N	1 N	1 (Base unit)
Pound-force	lbf	4.44822 N	1 lbf = 4.44822 N
Kilogram-force	kgf	9.80665 N	1 kgf = 9.80665 N
Dyne	dyn	0.00001 N	1 dyn = 0.00001 N
Kip	kip	4448.22 N	1 kip = 4448.22 N
Ton-force (metric)	tf	9806.65 N	1 tf = 9806.65 N
Ton-force (short)	tonf	8896.443230521 N	1 tonf = 8896.443230521 N
Ton-force (long)	tonf	9964.01641818352 N	1 tonf = 9964.01641818352 N
Poundal	pdl	0.138255 N	1 pdl = 0.138255 N
Kilopond	kp	9.80665 N	1 kp = 9.80665 N
Sthene	sn	1000 N	1sn = 1000N

Conversion between Unit of Force

In the following table, conversion factors for different units are given. These conversion factor can be multiplied with to convert any unit to other unit.

From/To	Newton (N)	Pound-force (lbf)	Kilogram-force (kgf)	Dyne
Newton (N)	1	0.224809	0.101972	105
Pound-force (lbf)	4.44822	1	0.453592	4.44822 × 105
Kilogram-force (kgf)	9.80665	2.20462	1	9.80665 × 105
Dyne	1 × 10-5	2.24809 × 10-6	1.01972 × 10-6	1

How to Use this Table

We can use this table to convert between any two units as follows:

• To convert a value from one unit to another, multiply by the corresponding factor in the table.
  • For example, to convert 5 Newtons to Pound-force, multiply by 0.224809, resulting in approximately 1.12405 lbf.
• Conversely, to convert from Pound-force to Newtons, multiply by the factor in the Newton row under the Pound-force column.
  • For example, converting 5 lbf to Newtons involves multiplying by 4.44822, resulting in approximately 22.2411 N.

1N = 1kg.m/s² = 10⁵dyne = 0.10197 kp = 0.22481 lbf = 7.2330 pdl

Conclusion

In conclusion, we have learned that SI unit of force is Newton i.e., Kg.m/s². Other than that, there are some more units for force such as dyne in CGS system, pound-force or kilogram-force.

Read More,

• List of Important SI Units of Measurement
• Dimensional Formulas

Sample Problems on the Unit of Force

Problem 1: Covert 2.4 N into dyne.

Solution:

To convert 2.4 N (Newtons) into dynes, you can use the conversion factor:

1 N = 10⁵ dynes

So, to convert 2.4 N to dynes:

2.4 N × 10⁵ dynes/N = 240,000 dynes

Therefore, 2.4 N is equal to 240,000 dynes.

Problem 2: Convert 10 newtons into pounds-force (lbf).

Solution:

To convert Newtons (N) to pounds-force (lbf), you can use the conversion factor:

1 N ≈ 0.224808943 pounds-force (lbf)

So, to convert 10 Newtons to pounds-force:

10 N × 0.224808943 lbf/N ≈ 2.24808943 lbf

Therefore, 10 Newtons is approximately equal to 2.24808943 pounds-force (lbf).

Problem 3: Covert 3.6 Sthene into Newton.

Solution:

To convert 3.6 Sthene into Newton, you can use the conversion factor:

1 Sthene = 1000 Newton

So, to convert 3.6 Sthene into Newton:

3.6 Sthene × 1000 = 3,600 Newton

Therefore, 3.6 Sthene is equal to 3,600 Newton

Practice Problems on Unit of Force

Problem 1: Convert 500 Newtons (N) into dynes (dyn).

Problem 2: Convert 20 pounds-force (lbf) into Newtons (N).

Problem 3: Convert 1000 dynes (dyn) into Newtons (N).

Problem 4: Convert 15 Newtons (N) into pound-force (lbf).

Problem 5: Convert 2.5 kilogram-force (kgf) into Newtons (N).

FAQs on Unit of Force

What is Unit of Force in SI Units?

The unit of force in the International System of Units (SI) is the Newton (N).

How much is 1 Newton?

One Newton is the amount of force required to give a mass of one kilogram an acceleration of one meter per second squared.

How much Dyne is 1 Newton?

One Newton is equal to 100,000 or 10⁵ Dynes.

How does the SI unit of Force relate to Mass and Acceleration?

1 N = 1 kg⋅m/s²

What is Unit of Force in FPS System?

Poundal(Pdl) is the unit of force in FPS System.