Force Calculator
Force from mass and acceleration by Newton’s second law, F = ma, or the mass or acceleration from the other two, in newtons or pounds-force.
Result
Net force: 1,026 lbf
The net force: the sum of every push and pull on the body, not any one of them.
- Mass
- 3,000 lb
- Acceleration
- 11 ft/s² (3.353 m/s²)
https://calcgallery.com/physics/force-calculator/
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How to use the Force Calculator
- Choose whether to find the force, the mass or the acceleration.
- Enter the other two. Give the force or acceleration a minus sign if it points the other way.
- Read the net force in newtons and pounds-force, or the mass or acceleration it gives.
The formulas
F = m × am = F ÷ aa = F ÷ mWith the mass in kilograms and the acceleration in metres per second squared, the force comes out in newtons. Pounds, feet per second squared and pounds-force are converted on the way in and out.
Limits
The page works along one line, with direction as a sign. Forces at angles need to be split into components first and each direction handled on its own. At speeds approaching that of light, or for a body whose mass changes as it moves, such as a rocket burning fuel, F = ma in this simple form no longer holds.
With your numbers
- F = m × a = 3,000 lb × 11 ft/s² = 1,025.67 lbf
Quick reference
The net force: the sum of every push and pull on the body, not any one of them.
| Example | Result |
|---|---|
| 3,000 lb car at 11 ft/s² | Net force: 1,026 lbf |
| 1,000 kg car at 3 m/s² | Net force: 3,000 N |
| Lawn mower, 51 N on 24 kg | Acceleration: 2.125 m/s² |
| Rocket sled, 2,100 kg at 49 m/s² | Net force: 102,900 N |
| Braking, 1,500 kg at −8 m/s² | Net force: -12,000 N |
| Mass pushed by 500 N at 2 m/s² | Mass: 250 kg |
| 100 lbf on 50 lb | Acceleration: 64.35 ft/s² |
Common questions about the Force Calculator
- How do I calculate force from mass and acceleration?
- Multiply them: F = ma. A 1,000 kg car accelerating at 3 m/s² needs a net force of 3,000 N. In US units, a 3,000 lb car at 11 ft/s² needs about 1,026 lbf, which is 4,562 N.
- What is a newton?
- The force that accelerates one kilogram at one metre per second squared, so 1 N = 1 kg·m/s². A pound-force is the weight of one pound under standard gravity, about 4.448 N.
- How do I find acceleration from force and mass?
- Divide the force by the mass: a = F ÷ m. OpenStax University Physics example 5.2 pushes a 24 kg lawn mower with a net 51 N, giving 51 ÷ 24 = 2.125 m/s², which the book rounds to 2.1 m/s².
- Why does it say net force?
- Newton’s second law uses the total of every force on the body. If you push a crate with 200 N and friction pushes back with 150 N, the net force is 50 N, and that is what sets the acceleration. Add the forces up, with signs for direction, before entering them.
- Is weight a force?
- Yes. Weight is mass times the acceleration of gravity, so it is this page with a equal to g: a 1 kg mass weighs about 9.81 N at the Earth’s surface. Mass is how much matter there is and stays the same on the Moon; weight changes with gravity.