Newton (unit)

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newton
One Newton, illustrated (transparent background).svg
Visualization of one newton of force
General information
Unit system SI
Unit of force
SymbolN
Named after Sir Isaac Newton
Conversions
1 N in ...... is equal to ...
   SI base units   1 kgms −2
   CGS units   105  dyn
   Imperial units   0.224809 lbf

The newton (symbol: N) is the unit of force in the International System of Units (SI). Expressed in terms of SI base units, it is 1 kg⋅m/s2, the force that accelerates a mass of one kilogram at one metre per second squared.

Contents

The unit is named after Isaac Newton in recognition of his work on classical mechanics, specifically his second law of motion.

Definition

A newton is defined as 1 kg⋅m/s2 (it is a named derived unit defined in terms of the SI base units). [1] :137 One newton is, therefore, the force needed to accelerate one kilogram of mass at the rate of one metre per second squared in the direction of the applied force. [2]

The units "metre per second squared" can be understood as measuring a rate of change in velocity per unit of time, i.e. an increase in velocity by one metre per second every second. [2]

In 1946, the General Conference on Weights and Measures (CGPM) Resolution 2 standardized the unit of force in the MKS system of units to be the amount needed to accelerate one kilogram of mass at the rate of one metre per second squared. In 1948, the 9th CGPM Resolution 7 adopted the name newton for this force. [3] The MKS system then became the blueprint for today's SI system of units. [4] The newton thus became the standard unit of force in the Système international d'unités (SI), or International System of Units. [3]

The newton is named after Isaac Newton . As with every SI unit named for a person, its symbol starts with an upper case letter (N), but when written in full, it follows the rules for capitalisation of a common noun ; i.e., newton becomes capitalised at the beginning of a sentence and in titles but is otherwise in lower case.

The connection to Newton comes from Newton's second law of motion, which states that the force exerted on an object is directly proportional to the acceleration hence acquired by that object, thus: [5] where represents the mass of the object undergoing an acceleration . When using the SI unit of mass, the kilogram (kg), and SI units for distance metre (m), and time, second (s) we arrive at the SI definition of the newton: 1 kg⋅m/s2.

Examples

At average gravity on Earth (conventionally, = 9.80665 m/s2), a kilogram mass exerts a force of about 9.81 N.

(where 62 kg is the world average adult mass). [6]

Kilonewtons

A carabiner used in rock climbing, with a safety rating of 26 kN when loaded along the spine with the gate closed, 8 kN when loaded perpendicular to the spine, and 10 kN when loaded along the spine with the gate open. Dwire carabiner.jpg
A carabiner used in rock climbing, with a safety rating of 26 kN when loaded along the spine with the gate closed, 8 kN when loaded perpendicular to the spine, and 10 kN when loaded along the spine with the gate open.

Large forces may be expressed in kilonewtons (kN), where 1 kN = 1000 N. For example, the tractive effort of a Class Y steam train locomotive and the thrust of an F100 jet engine are both around 130 kN.[ citation needed ]

Climbing ropes are tested by assuming a human can withstand a fall that creates 12 kN of force. The ropes must not break when tested against 5 such falls. [7] :11

Conversion factors

Units of force
newton dyne kilogram-force,
kilopond
pound-force poundal
1 N 1 kg⋅m/s2= 105 dyn 0.10197 kp 0.22481 lbF 7.2330 pdl
1 dyn= 10−5 N 1 g⋅cm/s2 1.0197×10−6 kp 2.2481×10−6 lbF 7.2330×10−5 pdl
1 kp= 9.80665 N= 980665 dyn gn × 1 kg 2.2046 lbF 70.932 pdl
1 lbF 4.448222 N 444822 dyn 0.45359 kp gn × 1  lb  32.174 pdl
1 pdl 0.138255 N 13825 dyn 0.014098 kp 0.031081 lbF 1 lb⋅ft/s2
The value of gn (9.80665 m/s2) as used in the official definition of the kilogram-force is used here for all gravitational units.
Three approaches to units of mass and force or weight [8] [9]
BaseForceWeightMass
2nd law of motion m = F/aF = Wa/gF = ma
System BG GM EE M AE CGS MTS SI
Acceleration (a)ft/s2m/s2ft/s2m/s2ft/s2 Gal m/s2m/s2
Mass (m) slug hyl pound-masskilogram pound gram tonne kilogram
Force (F),
weight (W)
pound kilopond pound-forcekilopond poundal dyne sthène newton
Pressure (p) pound per square inch technical atmosphere pound-force per square inch standard atmosphere poundal per square foot barye pieze pascal
Standard prefixes for the metric units of measure (multiples)
Prefix nameN/A deca hecto kilo mega giga tera peta exa zetta yotta ronna quetta
Prefix symboldahkMGTPEZYRQ
Factor1001011021031061091012101510181021102410271030
Standard prefixes for the metric units of measure (submultiples)
Prefix nameN/A deci centi milli micro nano pico femto atto zepto yocto ronto quecto
Prefix symboldcmμnpfazyrq
Factor10010−110−210−310−610−910−1210−1510−1810−2110−2410−2710−30

See also

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References

  1. Bureau International des Poids et Mesures (2019). The International System of Units (SI) (PDF) (9 ed.). Bureau International des Poids et Mesures (BIPM). p. 137. Archived from the original on 30 September 2021. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
  2. 1 2 "Newton | unit of measurement". Encyclopædia Britannica . 17 December 2020. Archived from the original on 27 September 2019. Retrieved 27 September 2019.
  3. 1 2 The International System of Units (SI) (1977 ed.). U.S. Department of Commerce, National Bureau of Standards. 1977. p. 17. ISBN   9282220451. Archived from the original on 11 May 2016. Retrieved 15 November 2015.
  4. David B. Newell; Eite Tiesinga, eds. (2019). The International System of Units (SI) (PDF) (NIST Special publication 330, 2019 ed.). Gaithersburg, MD: NIST . Retrieved 30 November 2019.
  5. "Table 3. Coherent derived units in the SI with special names and symbols". The International System of Units (SI). International Bureau of Weights and Measures. 2006. Archived from the original on 18 June 2007.
  6. Walpole, Sarah Catherine; Prieto-Merino, David; et al. (18 June 2012). "The weight of nations: an estimation of adult human biomass". BMC Public Health . 12 (12): 439. doi: 10.1186/1471-2458-12-439 . PMC   3408371 . PMID   22709383.
  7. Bright, Casandra Marie. "A History of Rock Climbing Gear Technology and Standards." (2014).
  8. Comings, E. W. (1940). "English Engineering Units and Their Dimensions". Industrial & Engineering Chemistry. 32 (7): 984–987. doi:10.1021/ie50367a028.
  9. Klinkenberg, Adrian (1969). "The American Engineering System of Units and Its Dimensional Constant gc". Industrial & Engineering Chemistry. 61 (4): 53–59. doi:10.1021/ie50712a010.