The following list shows different orders of magnitude of force.
Since weight under gravity is a force, several of these examples refer to the weight of various objects. Unless otherwise stated, these are weights under average Earth gravity at sea level.
Contents
1Below 1 N
21 N and above
3Notes
4External links
Below 1 N
Factor (N)
Value
Item
10−47
3.6×10−17 qN
Gravitational attraction of the proton and the electron in hydrogen atom[1]
10−30 quectonewton (qN)
8.9 qN
Weight of an electron[1]
10−26 rontonewton (rN)
16 rN
Weight of a hydrogen atom[1]
10−24 yoctonewton (yN)
5 yN
Force necessary to synchronize the motion of a single trapped ion with an external signal measured in a 2010 experiment[2][3]
10−22
170 yN
Force measured in a 2010 experiment by perturbing 60 beryllium-9 ions[4][5]
10−15 femtonewton (fN)
10−14
~10 fN
Brownian motion force on an E. coli bacterium averaged over 1 second[6]
~10 fN
Weight of an E. coli bacterium[7][8]
10−13
~100 fN
Force to stretch double-stranded DNA to 50% relative extension[6]
10−12 piconewton (pN)
~4 pN
Force to break a hydrogen bond[6]
~5 pN
Maximum force of a molecular motor[6]
10−11
10−10
~160 pN
Force to break a typical noncovalent bond[6]
10−9 nanonewton (nN)
~1.6 nN
Force to break a typical covalent bond[6]
10−8
8.2×10−8 N
Force on an electron in a hydrogen atom[1]
10−7
2×10−7 N
Force between two 1 meter long conductors, 1 meter apart by an outdated definition of one ampere
10−6 micronewton (μN)
1–150 μN
Output of FEEP ion thrusters used in NASA's Laser Interferometer Space Antenna[9]
10−4
10−3 millinewton (mN)
10−2
19-92 mN
Thrust of the NSTAR ion engine tested on NASA's space probe Deep Space 1[10]
10−1
1 N and above
Magnitude
Value
Item
1 N
1.4 N
The weight of a smartphone[11][12]
2.5 N
Typical thrust of a Dual-Stage 4-Grid ion thruster.
9.8 N
One kilogram-force, nominal weight of a 1 kg (2.2 lb) object at sea level on Earth[13]
10 N
50 N
Average force to break the shell of a chicken egg from a young hen[14]
102 N
720 N
Average force of human bite, measured at molars[15]
103 N kilonewton (kN)
5 kN
The force applied by the engine of a small car during peak acceleration[citation needed]
8 kN
The maximum force achieved by weight lifters during a 'clean and jerk' lift[16] (During the clean part)
9 kN
The bite force of one adult American alligator[17]
104 N
16.5 kN
The bite force of a 5.2 m (17 ft) saltwater crocodile[18]
18 kN
The estimated bite force of a 6.1 m (20 ft) adult great white shark[19]
25 kN
Approximate force applied by the motors of a Tesla Model S during maximal acceleration[20]
25.5 to 34.5 kN
The estimated bite force of a large 6.7 m (22 ft) adult saltwater crocodile[21]
105 N
100 kN
The average force applied by seatbelt and airbag to a restrained passenger in a car which hits a stationary barrier at 100 km/h[22]
569 kN
Maximum thrust of a large turbofan engine (General Electric GE90)
890 kN
Maximum pulling force (tractive effort) of a single large diesel-electric locomotive[1]
106 N meganewton (MN)
1.8 MN
Thrust of Space Shuttle Main Engine at lift-off[23][24][25]
1.9 MN
Weight of the largest Blue Whale[1]
107 N
35 MN
Thrust of Saturn V rocket at lift-off[26]
108 N
570 MN
Simplistic estimate of force of sunlight on Earth[27]
109 N giganewton (GN)
1020 N
200 EN
Gravitational attraction between Earth and Moon[28]
1022 N
35 ZN
Gravitational attraction between Earth and Sun[29]
1029 N
≈450 RN
Gravitational attraction between our Galaxy and Andromeda Galaxy[30]
Notes
↑ 1.01.11.21.31.41.5Hugh D. Young, University Physics 4th Ed, 1992, Addison-Wesley Publishing Co, Inc.
↑Knünz, S.; Herrmann, M.; Batteiger, V.; Saathoff, G.; Hänsch, T.; Vahala, K.; Udem, T. (2010). "Injection Locking of a Trapped-Ion Phonon Laser". Physical Review Letters105 (1): 013004. doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.105.013004. PMID 20867440. Bibcode: 2010PhRvL.105a3004K. http://authors.library.caltech.edu/19101/1/Knuenz2010p10792Phys_Rev_Lett.pdf.
↑"Single atoms for detecting extremely weak forces". Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics. http://www.mpq.mpg.de/cms/mpq/en/news/press/10_08_04.html.
↑Brumfiel, G. (2010). "Scientists measure atomic nudge". Nature. doi:10.1038/news.2010.187.
↑M. J. Biercuk; H. Uys; J. W. Britton; A. P. VanDevender; J. J. Bollinger (9 Apr 2010). "Ultrasensitive detection of force and displacement using trapped ions". Nature Nanotechnology5 (9): 646–650. doi:10.1038/NNANO.2010.165. PMID 20729835. Bibcode: 2010NatNa...5..646B. "detection of forces as small as 174 yN".
↑ 6.06.16.26.36.46.5"Forces involved at the biological level". PicoTwist. http://www.picotwist.com/index.php?content=smb&option=odg.
↑"E. coli Statistics". The CyberCell Database. http://www.ccdb.ualberta.ca/CCDB/cgi-bin/STAT_NEW.cgi.
↑Calculated: weight = mass * g = 1e-15 kg * 9.81 m/s^2 = 1e-14 N
↑"Appendix B8—Factors for Units Listed Alphabetically". NIST Guide for the Use of the International System of Units (SI). NIST. 2 July 2009. http://physics.nist.gov/Pubs/SP811/appenB8.html.
↑Damme, Klaus (2020). Geflügeljahrbuch 2021. Stuttgart, Germany: Eugen Ulmer KG. pp. 262–281. ISBN 978-3-8186-1186-6.
↑Houston T E, Bite Force and Bite Pressure: Comparisons of Humans and Dogs, 2003 "Archived copy". http://www.glapbta.com/BFBP.pdf.
↑The Human Machine By R. McNeill Alexander, Mark Iley, Sally Alexander
↑Erickson, G. M.; Lappin, A. K.; Vliet, K. A. (2003). "The ontogeny of bite-force performance in American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis)". Journal of Zoology260 (3): 317. doi:10.1017/S0952836903003819. http://www.csupomona.edu/~aklappin/Alligator Bite Force Ontogeny.pdf. 9452 N
↑"Crocodiles Have Strongest Bite Ever Measured, Hands-on Tests Show". https://www.nationalgeographic.com/?rptregcta=reg_free_np&rptregcampaign=20131016_rw_membership_r1p_intl_ot_w. "The "winners"—saltwater crocodiles—slammed their jaws shut with 3,700 pounds per square inch (psi), or 16,460 newtons, of bite force."
↑"Great White Tops List of Hardest-Biting Sharks". Discovery News. Discovery Channel. http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2009/01/09/shark-bite-head.html. "a bite force of 9,320 Newton at the tip of its jaws and 18,216 N at the back of its jaws"
↑Calculated from maximum acceleration of 1.22 g and kerb mass of 2,050 kg (4,520 lb).
↑Erickson, Gregory M.; Gignac, Paul M.; Steppan, Scott J.; Lappin, A. Kristopher; Vliet, Kent A.; Brueggen, John D.; Inouye, Brian D.; Kledzik, David et al. (2012). "Insights into the Ecology and Evolutionary Success of Crocodilians Revealed through Bite-Force and Tooth-Pressure Experimentation". PLOS ONE7 (3): e31781. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0031781. PMID 22431965. Bibcode: 2012PLoSO...731781E. "scientifically documented 6.7-meter long Crocodylus porosus individuals were likely capable of molariform bite forces of approximately 27,531 N to 34,424 N (6,187 to 7,736 lbs).".
↑Lawrence Weinstein and John A. Adams, Guesstimation, 2008, Section 6.3.1
↑"Space Shuttle Main Engine". Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne. http://www.pratt-whitney.com/Space_Shuttle_Main_Engine. "109% power level at sea level: 418,000 lb"
↑Wade, Mark. "SSME". Encyclopedia Astronautica. http://www.astronautix.com/engines/ssme.htm. "Launches normally used 104% ... as a maximum"
↑Calculated: 418000 lbf * 4.45 N/lbf * (104% launch power level / 109%) = 1.77e6 N.
↑"What Was the Saturn V?". NASA. http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/rocketry/home/what-was-the-saturn-v-58.html. "The rocket generated 34.5 million newtons ... of thrust at launch"
↑1.63 x 10−14 x gravitational attraction between Earth and Sun, assuming total absorption of sunlight Sunlight Exerts Pressure, NASA Glenn LTP Math & Science Resources