Table of Contents
What is the Relationship Between Force and Acceleration in SI Units?
Learn how force is measured in SI units and its direct relationship with the acceleration of a standard kilogram. Understand the definition of a newton and Newton’s Second Law of Motion.
Question
In SI units, a force is numerically equal to the _______________when the force is applied to it.
A. Acceleration of any object
B. Speed of the standard kilogram
C. Velocity of the standard kilogram
D. Acceleration of the standard kilogram
Answer
D. Acceleration of the standard kilogram
Explanation
In the International System of Units (SI), the standard unit of force is the newton (N). The definition of a newton is derived from Newton’s Second Law of Motion, which states that force equals mass times acceleration (F=ma). One newton is explicitly defined as the amount of force required to accelerate a mass of one standard kilogram at a rate of one meter per second squared (1 N=1 kg⋅m/s2). Therefore, if you apply a force to the standard one-kilogram mass, the numerical value of that force in newtons will be exactly equal to the numerical value of the acceleration the mass experiences in meters per second squared.