Omni calculator
Last updated:

G Force Calculator

Table of contents

What is g force?How to calculate g forceExample: Using the g-force calculator.Other similar calculatorsFAQs

This g force calculator helps determine the acceleration experienced by a moving object in terms of the Earth’s gravitational acceleration. The tool first establishes the acceleration due to gravity and then computes the gravitational force equivalent based on the moving speed of any entity.

Read on to understand how you can calculate the g force from the velocity of an object.

What is g force?

The g force or g-force, otherwise known as the gravitational force equivalent, is the force per unit mass experienced by an object with reference to the acceleration to due to gravity value — 9.81 m/s29.81 \text{ m/s}^2 or 32.17 ft/s232.17\text{ ft/s}^2 . The force experienced by an object resting on the earth's surface is roughly 1g1 g. Note the gg is different from the unit of weight grams (g\text{g}).

The g force is directly proportional to the object's acceleration, such that a pilot experiences as much as 8g8 g and 5g-5 g. When the g value is positive, the pilot's blood rushes towards his feet, leading to blackouts or losing consciousness.

A negative g value causes blood flow towards the brain and eyes, resulting in swelling veins and reddened visions. We can also experience the same rush on roller coaster rides, during which people often lose consciousness.

Mathematically, the acceleration due to gravity, gg, for an object is:

g=GMr2g = \frac{GM}{r^2}

where:

  • GG – Universal gravitational constant, 6.674×1011 m3kg1s26.674 \times 10^{-11} \text{ m}^{3} \text{kg}^{-1} \text{s}^{-2};
  • MM – Mass of the celestial body (e.g., planet Earth); and
  • rr – Radius of celestial body.

How to calculate g force

If you know the acceleration due to gravity value, you can further calculate the g force from velocity. Suppose an object has an initial velocity v0v_0 and final velocity v1v_1 over a time interval, tt. The equation gives the g force:

g Force=v1v0tg=Δvtgg \text{ Force} = \frac {v_1 - v_0}{t g} = \frac {\Delta v}{t g}

It is interesting to notice that the term v1v0t\large \frac {v_1 - v_0}{t} is acceleration of an object.

Example: Using the g-force calculator.

Estimate the g force on a person suddenly stopping his car in 1 s1 \text{ s} that was traveling at a velocity of 60 km/h60 \text{ km/h}.

To calculate the g force:

  1. Enter the initial velocity, v0=60 km/hv_0 = 60 \text{ km/h} or 16.67 m/s16.67 \text{ m/s}.

  2. Fill in the final velocity, v1=0 km/hv_1 = 0 \text{ km/h}.

  3. Set the time, t=1 st = 1\text{ s}.

  4. The calculator returns the g value using the equation:

g Force=016.671×9.81=1.697 g\qquad \footnotesize g \text{ Force} = \frac {0 - 16.67}{1 \times 9.81} = - 1.697 \ g

The driver experiences a negative g force value of 1.697 g-1.697 \ g when he suddenly stops his car.

Other similar calculators

You can explore the similar calculators listed below if you like this one:

FAQs

How do I calculate g force from velocity?

To calculate g force from velocity:

  1. Subtract initial velocity from final velocity.
  2. Divide the difference by time.
  3. Divide the resultant by the acceleration due to gravity, 9.81 m/s², to obtain the g force value.

What is the g force if I reach 60 mph in two seconds?

1.366 g. Assuming the initial velocity v₀ is 0 mph, and converting the final velocity v₁ of 60 mph to meters per second — 26.8 m/s — here's how you calculate that result:

g force = (v₁ − v₀) / (t × g) = (26.8 – 0) / (2 × 9.81) = 1.366 g

Gravitational acceleration

Linear motion

Check out 11 similar dynamics calculators — why things move ➡️
AccelerationBank angleCar crash force...8 more