Question

How many newtons of force are represented by the following amount: 3 kg·m/sec2? Justify your answer.

Answer 1

Explanation:

A Newton is the SI unit of Force. Force is calculated as mass times acceleration. The unit of mass is the kilogram (kg). The units of acceleration are meters per second squared (m/s^2 ). Thus, if

F = m * a

the units of force are: kg * m/s^2

One Newton is the force required to accelerate a 1 kg mass at 1 m/s^2

or 1 kg*m/s^2

So 3 kg*m/s^2 = 3 Newtons, which can be abbreviated as 3 N.

Note that the SI abbreviation for seconds is 's', not 'sec'. So denoting Newtons as 1 kg*m/sec^2 is not technically a correct SI representation, although the meaning is likely obvious in most contexts. To avoid confusion though, it is probably best to stick with the standard recognized SI abbreviations.