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tratata
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Homework Statement
Why when I convert kg to Newtons I simply multiply by g. But when I convert lbs I multiply by 4.48?? It makes no sense ! Shouldn't it be 32.2? Thanks, Kate
tratata said:Homework Statement
Why when I convert kg to Newtons I simply multiply by g. But when I convert lbs I multiply by 4.48?? It makes no sense ! Shouldn't it be 32.2? Thanks, Kate
Homework Equations
The Attempt at a Solution
jamesnb said:Great explanation PhanthomJay. The only time 1 pound = 0.45 kg or 1 kg = 2.2 pounds is on planet Earth. Pounds are an English unit of Force and slugs are the English unit of mass. Newtons are the SI unit of Force and kilograms are the SI unit of mass. The acceleration due to gravity in English units is 32 feet/sec/sec. In the more civilized world, the acceleration due to gravity is 9.8 meters/sec/sec.
Since we all live on Earth, we (wrongly) allow this idea of converting pounds directly to kilograms to slide.
PhanthomJay said:Yikes the dreaded poundal! No one in the states , whether tech or non tech, uses it. It's tough enough having 2 systems of measure , let alone several. Let's say good bye to the poundal throughout the known world. I'd toss that one out before pound-mass.
We should both be thankful we still have hairtratata said:Indeed I was on the verge of tearing my hair out :)
No worry, even most americans, tech or non-tech, don't know what a slug is. Probably because we deal a lot with equilibrium and sum of forces = 0 , so it doesn't often matter. And when required to use mass, we just take the object's weight on Earth and divide it by 32, and don't call it anything.PeterO said:However - had never heard of the slug until I read it on here about 6 months ago.
The formula for converting to Newtons is force = mass x acceleration, or F = m x a.
No, there are other units for measuring force such as pounds, kilograms, and dynes. However, Newtons is the standard unit in the International System of Units (SI).
To convert from another unit of force to Newtons, you can use a conversion factor. For example, to convert from pounds to Newtons, you can multiply the number of pounds by 4.45 to get the equivalent in Newtons.
Newtons is named after Sir Isaac Newton, a famous scientist who made significant contributions to the study of motion and force.
Yes, Newtons can be used to measure all types of force including gravitational force, applied force, and frictional force.