Force is what causes an object to accelerate — a push or a pull measured in newtons (N).
Force is what causes an object to accelerate — a push or a pull measured in newtons (N). Newton's Second Law ties force, mass, and acceleration together in one of the most important equations in physics. This calculator finds the force needed to accelerate a given mass at a given rate.
A 10 kg cart is accelerated at 3 m/s². Force = 10 × 3 = 30 N.
Using Newton's second law: Force = mass × acceleration (F = ma).
In SI units, force is measured in newtons (N), where 1 N = 1 kg·m/s².
Because force is directly proportional to mass in Newton's second law — doubling mass requires doubling force to achieve the same acceleration.