Part 02 · Forces and Newton's laws · Card 1 of 8
Force
A push or a pull, measured in newtons (N). It can change speed, direction or shape.
Last updated
Analogy
Like a shove on a shopping trolley.
Example
Size of a newton
1 N is roughly the weightof a small apple.A 1 kg bag of sugar weighsabout 10 N.
In practice
Forces always come with a direction, so they are drawn as arrows.
Practice
Flashcards
- What is the unit of force?The newton (N).
Questions people ask
What is a newton?
A newton (N) is the unit of force. One newton is the force needed to give a 1 kg mass an acceleration of 1 m/s squared. In everyday terms, a small apple pulls down on your hand with about one newton of weight.
Can a force change the shape of an object?
Yes. Forces can make things speed up, slow down, change direction or change shape. Squashing a sponge, stretching an elastic band and bending a ruler are all shape changes caused by forces. If the object springs back afterwards, the change was elastic.