Newton's Second Law Force Calculator
Enter an object's mass and its acceleration to calculate the net force acting on it, using Newton's second law.
Newton's Second Law Force Calculator
Calculates the net force required to produce a given acceleration on a mass, using F = ma.
This calculator applies Newton's second law, F = ma, directly: enter a mass and an acceleration, and it returns the net force in newtons required to produce that acceleration. With the default acceleration set to standard Earth gravity (9.8 m/s²), it doubles as a simple weight calculator, but you can enter any acceleration value to analyze other force scenarios in mechanics, engineering or physics coursework.
Example
- With the default values shown above, this calculator returns: Force ≈ 98 N.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Newton's second law?
It states that force equals mass times acceleration (F = ma) — the net force needed to accelerate an object is directly proportional to both its mass and the rate of acceleration.
Why is the default acceleration 9.8?
9.8 m/s² is standard Earth gravitational acceleration, making the default calculation show the force of gravity (weight) acting on the entered mass — change it to any other acceleration for non-gravity scenarios.
Sources
- Standard formula, publicly documented method