Acceleration from Force and Mass

This Acceleration from Force and Mass calculator computes acceleration (a) as a function of Mass (m) and Force (F). 

INSTRUCTIONS: Choose units and enter the following:

• (F) Force
• (m) Mass 

Acceleration (a): The calculator returns the acceleration (a) in meters per second squared.  However, this can be automatically converted to compatible units via the pull-down menu.

The Math / Science

The formula for acceleration based on force and mass is:
          a = F / m
where:

• a is the constant acceleration
• F is the force acting on the object.
• m is the mass of the object

Newton's second law formula (F = m•a) shows the relationship between mass, acceleration and force.  The three forms of the equation are as follows:

• F = m•a.  This is Newton's second law formula solved for force.
• m = F / a.  This is Newton's second law formula solved for mass.
• a = F / m.  This is Newton's second law formula solved for acceleration.

References

• Light and Matter(Dr. Benjamin Crowell) Chapter 4.3 Newton's Second Law
• Light and Matter(Dr. Benjamin Crowell) Chapter 4.5 Inertial and noninertial frames of reference
• Light and Matter(Dr. Benjamin Crowell) Chapter 8.4 Calculus with vectors