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Orders of magnitude (force)

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Examples of force.

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.

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 2×10−7 N Force between two 1 meter long conductors, 1 meter apart by an outdated definition of one ampere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. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Hugh D. Young, University Physics 4th Ed, 1992, Addison-Wesley Publishing Co, Inc.
  2. ↑ 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 Letters 105 (1): 013004. doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.105.013004. PMID 20867440. Bibcode: 2010PhRvL.105a3004K. http://authors.library.caltech.edu/19101/1/Knuenz2010p10792Phys_Rev_Lett.pdf. 
  3. ↑ "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. 
  4. ↑ Brumfiel, G. (2010). "Scientists measure atomic nudge". Nature. doi:10.1038/news.2010.187. 
  5. ↑ 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 Nanotechnology 5 (9): 646–650. doi:10.1038/NNANO.2010.165. PMID 20729835. Bibcode: 2010NatNa...5..646B. "detection of forces as small as 174 yN". 
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 "Forces involved at the biological level". PicoTwist. http://www.picotwist.com/index.php?content=smb&option=odg. 
  7. ↑ "E. coli Statistics". The CyberCell Database. http://www.ccdb.ualberta.ca/CCDB/cgi-bin/STAT_NEW.cgi. 
  8. ↑ Calculated: weight = mass * g = 1e-15 kg * 9.81 m/s^2 = 1e-14 N
  9. ↑ "Archived copy". http://www.lisa-science.org/list/list_meetings/potsdam_2006/lpf-presentation.pdf. 
  10. ↑ "NSTAR Ion Thruster". NASA. http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/ion/past/90s/nstar.htm. "thrust from 19 mN to 92 mN" 
  11. ↑ "How Much Does Your Smartphone Really Weigh?". 15 December 2016. https://www.guidingtech.com/62803/how-much-does-your-smartphone-weigh/. 
  12. ↑ https://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2006/3097/fs2006-3097.pdf [bare URL PDF]
  13. ↑ "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. 
  14. ↑ Damme, Klaus (2020). Geflügeljahrbuch 2021. Stuttgart, Germany: Eugen Ulmer KG. pp. 262–281. ISBN 978-3-8186-1186-6. 
  15. ↑ Houston T E, Bite Force and Bite Pressure: Comparisons of Humans and Dogs, 2003 "Archived copy". http://www.glapbta.com/BFBP.pdf. 
  16. ↑ The Human Machine By R. McNeill Alexander, Mark Iley, Sally Alexander
  17. ↑ Erickson, G. M.; Lappin, A. K.; Vliet, K. A. (2003). "The ontogeny of bite-force performance in American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis)". Journal of Zoology 260 (3): 317. doi:10.1017/S0952836903003819. http://www.csupomona.edu/~aklappin/Alligator%20Bite%20Force%20Ontogeny.pdf.  9452 N
  18. ↑ "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." 
  19. ↑ "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" 
  20. ↑ Calculated from maximum acceleration of 1.22 g and kerb mass of 2,050 kg (4,520 lb).
  21. ↑ 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 ONE 7 (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).". 
  22. ↑ Lawrence Weinstein and John A. Adams, Guesstimation, 2008, Section 6.3.1
  23. ↑ "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" 
  24. ↑ Wade, Mark. "SSME". Encyclopedia Astronautica. http://www.astronautix.com/engines/ssme.htm. "Launches normally used 104% ... as a maximum" 
  25. ↑ Calculated: 418000 lbf * 4.45 N/lbf * (104% launch power level / 109%) = 1.77e6 N.
  26. ↑ "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" 
  27. ↑ 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
  28. ↑ "The Earth-Moon Equations". http://www.ridgecrest.ca.us/~do_while/sage/v5i5d.htm. 
  29. ↑ NASA.gov
  30. ↑ Calculated from known masses (both ×1012 kg) at a distance of 2.5 Mly.



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