A unit of force specifies the reference magnitude used to express a force. The SI derived unit is the newton, defined by , consistent with Newton's second law.
A force of one newton gives a one-kilogram body an acceleration of one metre per second squared when it is the net applied force. A kilogram is a unit of mass, so it cannot replace the newton without also specifying an acceleration or a conventional gravitational reference.[ref]
The International System of Units (SI), ninth edition, SI Brochure. §2.3.4, derived units with special names
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