Which of the following best describes why the unit of force is chosen as newton?
It makes the constant k in the formula "F = k ma" equal to 1
Newton's second law is written as F = k m a, where k is a proportionality constant. The SI unit of force, the newton, is defined as the force that gives a mass of 1 kilogram an acceleration of 1 metre per second squared.
With that definition, when m = 1 kg and a = 1 m/s2, F becomes 1 N, which forces the constant k in F = k m a to be exactly 1. That is why the equation is usually written simply as F = m a. The unit is not chosen to simplify velocity calculations, nor to link it to weight, nor to make mass and acceleration numerically equal.
Hence, the answer is It makes the constant k in the formula "F = k ma" equal to 1.
Similar Questions
If the unit of force is newton, which combination of fundamental SI units makes up one newton?
Which of the following best represents the correct unit for average velocity in the SI system?
Important Questions from Units and Dimensional Formula
What is the dimensional formula of strain?
'Torr' is a unit of _______.
One nautical mile is equal to how many kilometers?
What is the SI unit of thermodynamic temperature?
Convert $60 \text{ km/h}$ into $m/s$.
