Understanding Newton Force: Real World Examples

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around understanding the concept of force measured in Newtons through real-world examples. Participants explore various contexts in which forces are experienced, particularly focusing on both downward and non-downward forces, and seek to gain a better perspective on the implications of these forces in everyday situations.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants express a desire for a clearer understanding of how much force in Newtons translates to real-world experiences beyond just downward forces.
  • One participant critiques the common example of 100N being equivalent to a 10kg object, arguing that this perspective is limited and does not account for different scenarios, such as free fall.
  • Another participant suggests that the perceived force on a person's legs during a fall would depend on the speed of descent, noting that no force would be felt once free-falling.
  • Examples of non-downward forces are discussed, with one participant mentioning that an average punch from an amateur boxer can exert around 700N of force.
  • There is a suggestion to consider the effects of collision forces and how they might alter the perception of force magnitude.
  • One participant recommends experimenting with pulling or pushing objects on horizontal surfaces to gain practical insights into force application and friction.
  • Concerns are raised about the usefulness of a single force measurement without context, emphasizing the importance of time and distance in understanding dynamic situations.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on the best way to conceptualize forces in Newtons, with multiple competing views on how to interpret and apply these measurements in various contexts.

Contextual Notes

Some discussions highlight limitations in understanding forces without considering specific conditions, such as speed and context of application, as well as the challenges in calculating aerodynamic forces during free fall.

Luja
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TL;DR
Can someone help me get a better perspective on newtons
I would just like to get a perspective on how much is an x amount of Newtons, like in real world examples.
I know everyone says 100N is about equal to the force of a 10kg object being set on you, but this example really only gives perspective on downwards force.

For example I calculated the force that would be applied to your legs if you jump out of a plane, but I relised the result didn't give me a real perspective on how that would effect a human.

Maybe this is a somewhat uninteresting question but I would really like to understand the answers to my equations just a bit better
 
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Luja said:
Summary: Can someone help me get a better perspective on Newtons

I know everyone says 100N is about equal to the force of a 10kg object being set on you, but this example really only gives perspective on downwards force.
"everyone" making that statement would be having their sloppy hat on. 9.81 N/kg only applies for an object at rest and on Earth (+/- a bit, depending on where you are). That 9.81 N/kg would also be experienced in a space ship, in deep space, accelerating at 9.81m/s2. The two perceived forces are totally equivalent - there would be no way of distinguishing between them if the spacecraft had no windows.

The actual (perceived) force on your legs would depend on how fast. you were falling - starting with zero on exit. Also, you would not notice any force on your legs, once you were no longer standing in the aircraft. The aerodynamic forces, once you are falling, would be very hard to calculate because they would depend on the areas of your various bits - too hard for a swift calculation.
 
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Welcome!
Could you give us examples of "feeling" or perspective on forces in situations other than the more common downwards force?
 
Lnewqban said:
Welcome!
Could you give us examples of "feeling" or perspective on forces in situations other than the more common downwards force?
I guess being punched would be the best example of a non-downwards force that people can feel. I think an average punch by an amateur boxer is around 700N if that helps in any way
 
Luja said:
I guess being punched would be the best example of a non-downwards force that people can feel. I think an average punch by an amateur boxer is around 700N if that helps in any way
And I just relised I may have given myself an answear to my own question, sorry for the waste of time
 
Luja said:
I guess being punched would be the best example of a non-downwards force that people can feel. I think an average punch by an amateur boxer is around 700N if that helps in any way
The punch introduces the collision factor, which can distort your "feeling" on the magnitude of the force.

I would recommend experimenting with pulling or pushing several objects on horizontal surfaces, about which you know the weight and static and kinematic coefficients of friction.

Please, see:
https://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/friction-coefficients-d_778.html

Taking two of the values given in that link as example:
If you could have a block of glass on a horizontal glass surface, you will need to exert a horizontal force approximately equal to the 68% of the block's weight to initiate a sliding movement, and about 53% to keep it sliding at constant speed.
 
Luja said:
I guess being punched would be the best example of a non-downwards force that people can feel. I think an average punch by an amateur boxer is around 700N if that helps in any way
That's an interesting bit of info. The 'amount' of force is not a very useful quantity in a general dynamic situation. To get any idea of the situation, either the time that the force is applied for or the distance it's applied over is essential knowledge.
Any meter that's used to produce that "700N" value must be of a certain type and follow a particular specification that attempts to give a fair comparison between different boxers. Such a meter can be useful for giving a rough scale of Punch power but the results should be viewed carefully in other contexts.
 

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