Measuring the Amount of Force
Today, we will be using Newton’s 2nd Law of Motion to calculate the amount of force an object possesses. We will also be using this formula to calculate the mass of an object or the acceleration of an object.
Some reminders:
F = ma Where F is the force of an object, m is the mass of the object and a
is the acceleration of the object.
Force is measured in Newtons, which is 1kg x m/sec2.
Mass is measured in kilograms or kg.
Acceleration is measured in meters per second squared or m/sec2.
1. Wayne Gretzky shoots a 2 kg hockey puck with an acceleration of 99 m/sec2. How
much force did he apply to the hockey puck?
2. Mrs. Long uses a force of 4000 N to throw Danny Detention out of her room with an
acceleration of 5.7 m/sec2. How much mass does Danny Detention have?
3. Danny Detention shoots a .003 kg paper clip with a rubber band that provides a force
of 27 N. How fast is the paper clip accelerating?
4. A rocket with a mass of 987,654 kg lifts off from a launch pad with an
acceleration of 987 m/sec2. How much force is needed to accomplish this?
5. Suzy Sidearmer throws a baseball with a force of 74 N. The ball has a mass of 2.9 kg.
How fast is the ball accelerating when it hits Jose Haasenfeffer?
6. Bob the Builder hits a nail with a hammer using a force of 36 N. The nail reaches an
acceleration of 87 m/sec2. How much is the mass of the nail?