Science

Force Calculator (F=ma)

Calculate Force, Mass, or Acceleration using Newton's Second Law of Motion.

Reviewed & Maintained by

Aadil Malik — Software Engineer

1 min read · 22 words

What is a Force Calculator?

A force calculator solves for force, mass, or acceleration using Newton's Second Law ($F = ma$).

Newton's Second Law states that force equals mass multiplied by acceleration: F = m * a.

The SI unit of force is the Newton (N), where 1 Newton = 1 kg * m/s².

Mass is the scalar measure of inertia (kg). Weight is the gravitational force acting on that mass: W = m * g (where g ≈ 9.81 m/s² on Earth).

Acceleration = Force / Mass (a = F / m).

1 Newton ≈ 0.224809 lbf (1 lbf ≈ 4.44822 N).

Net force is the vector sum of all individual forces acting upon an object.

By Newton's First Law, the object maintains constant velocity (or remains at rest).

Contact forces include friction and normal force; non-contact forces include gravity, magnetic, and electrostatic forces.