Definition

1. Noun:
   • A unit of force: A newton is the standard unit of force in the International System of Units (SI). It is defined as the force required to accelerate a mass of one kilogram at a rate of one meter per second squared.
   • Sir Isaac Newton: An English mathematician, physicist, astronomer, and author who is widely recognized as one of the most influential scientists of all time.

Examples of Usage

• As a unit of force:
  • The force required to lift an apple is approximately one newton.
  • Engineers calculated that the thrust of the engine was 500,000 newtons.
• Referring to the person:
  • Newton's laws of motion form the foundation of classical mechanics.
  • We studied the contributions of Newton to the field of optics.

Advanced Usage

• "Newton's cradle": A device that demonstrates the conservation of momentum and energy using a series of swinging spheres.
  • The office desk toy is a classic example of a Newton's cradle.
• "Newtonian physics": Refers to the system of mechanics based on Newton's laws of motion and gravitation.
  • Before Einstein, Newtonian physics was the dominant description of the universe.

Variants and Related Words

• Newtonian (adj): Pertaining to Isaac Newton or his theories.
  • Newtonian mechanics accurately describes the motion of everyday objects.
• Newton-meter (n): A derived unit of torque (also called a joule, when measuring energy).
  • The wrench applies a torque of 20 newton-meters.

Synonyms

• N (abbreviation): The standard symbol for the newton unit.
  • The force was measured as 10 N.

Related Phrases

• Newton's law of universal gravitation: The principle that every particle attracts every other particle in the universe with a force proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between their centers.
  • Newton's law of universal gravitation explains the orbits of planets.
• Newton's laws of motion: The three physical laws that describe the relationship between an object's motion and the forces acting upon it.
  • The first of Newton's laws of motion is the law of inertia.

Noun

1. a unit of force equal to the force that imparts an acceleration of 1 m/sec/sec to a mass of 1 kilogram; equal to 100,000 dynes
2. English mathematician and physicist; remembered for developing the calculus and for his law of gravitation and his three laws of motion (1642-1727)