What is the SI unit of force named after Newton?

The SI unit of force named after Newton is the newton. Its symbol is N, and one newton is the force needed to accelerate a one-kilogram mass at one metre per second squared (1 N = 1 kg·m/s²).

The unit honours Isaac Newton, whose laws of motion shaped classical mechanics. The newton was formally adopted as the name for the MKS unit of force by the 9th General Conference on Weights and Measures in 1948, helping establish the modern SI system.

A newton measures force, not energy, power, or pressure. A joule measures energy, a watt measures power, and a pascal measures pressure. On Earth, a 1-kilogram object has a weight of about 9.8 newtons because of gravity. The force unit is named after Newton because its definition directly reflects the relationship expressed by his second law: force equals mass times acceleration.