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Physics LibreTexts

15: Force

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  2. Last updated
    Jan 30, 2024
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Intuitively, a force is a push or a pull. In SI units, force is measured in units of newtons (N), named for the English physicist Sir Isaac Newton. In terms of base units,

(15.1)1⁢ N=1⁢kg⁢ms2

In CGS units, force is measured in dynes (dyn):

(15.2)1 dyne =1⁢g⁡cms2.

In the British engineering system, force is measured in pounds (lb). This is sometimes called pounds-force (lbf) when it's important to clearly distinguish it from pounds-mass ( lbm ).

(15.3)1⁢lbf=1⁢ slug fts2

15: Force is shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by LibreTexts.

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  1. Article type
    Chapter
    License
    CC BY-NC-SA
    License Version
    4.0
    Show TOC
    no
  2. Tags
    1. force
    2. Force, units

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