How to Calculate Average Force
Force is one of the fundamental concepts in physics and is related to other concepts such as momentum, work and acceleration. Force can be calculated any time one object comes in contact with another object or changes speed. There are several methods for calculating average force, and these can be applied to any number of situations.
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Instructions
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From momentum
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1
Make sure the mass of the object is in kilograms and the speed is in meters per second.
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2
Find the momentum at two different times by multiplying the mass and the velocity at each of those two times.
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3
Find the change in momentum by subtracting the first momentum from the second.
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4
Find the average velocity by dividing the change in momentum by the time it took for the momentum to change. This is the average force needed to change the momentum of the given mass.
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5
Make sure units work out to be newtons in the form of kilograms times meters per second squared.
From work done and distance
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6
Make sure work is in joules and distance is in meters.
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7
Find the average force by dividing the work by the distance over which the work was done.
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8
Make sure units work out to be newtons in the form of kilograms times meters per second squared.
From impulse and time
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9
Make sure impulse is in units of kilograms, meters and seconds. Make sure time is in seconds.
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10
Find the average force by dividing the impulse by the time during which the impulse took place.
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11
Make sure units work out to be newtons in the form of kilograms times meters per second squared.
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