EngiRef / Mechanical Engineering Formula

Newton's Second Law

Newton's Second Law: Force equals mass times acceleration. A Dynamics formula in mechanical engineering. Variables F, m and a, each with SI and imperial units.

Dynamics

Specification

Name
Newton's Second Law
Discipline
mechanical
Category
Dynamics
LaTeX
F = ma
Description
Force equals mass times acceleration
Can solve for
F, m, a
Tags
newton, force, mass, acceleration

Variables

Variables for Newton's Second Law
SymbolNameUnitSi UnitImperial Unit
FForceNNlbf
mMasskgkgslug
aAccelerationm/s²m/s²ft/s²

Common questions

What is the Newton's Second Law formula?
Force equals mass times acceleration. It sits under Dynamics, Mechanical engineering in the EngiRef reference.
What do the symbols in the Newton's Second Law formula mean?
In Newton's Second Law, F is force in N; m is mass in kg; a is acceleration in m/s².