Task 3: The S.I. unit of force is the Newton, abbreviated as N. Near the surface of the Earth, the
weight w of an object, equal to the gravitational force, is given by
w = mg,
where m is the mass of the object experiencing gravity, and g is the local acceleration due to
gravity. The measured value of g locally is about 9.81 m/s². [m] = meters, [s²] = seconds squared.
Note: The brackets are for clarity and only to compare units with other units. When you write
your final answers for calculated values, do not draw the brackets.
(a) Write out the unit Newton, N, in terms of the other units: kg, m, and s. In other words, is
[N] = [kg][m][s], or [N] = [kg][m/s], or some other combination? How can you tell?
(b) Convert your weight in pounds to the equivalent gravitational force in Newtons, again
showing each step in each unit conversion explicitly.
