Newton’s law states that the force required to accelerate an object of mass (m) at an acceleration (a) is equal to the product of m and a. The equation, F=ma, is the basis for sizing shakers and determining if a shaker can perform a shock or vibration test.
The more mass on a shaker, the less acceleration it can produce, and vice versa. All shakers have a force rating that determines what combination of mass and acceleration can be achieved.
F=MA Calculator
The F=ma calculator provided by Vibration Research will compute force, mass, or acceleration using Newton’s law. To perform a calculation, enter the values for two variables, then click the remaining variable (“force,” “mass,” or “accel”) to calculate the value. If you change a value, click on the other two variables to re-calculate them. Select a unit from the drop-down menu to perform unit conversions.
Having an issue reaching max acceleration?
If the force does not equal the product of mass and acceleration, double-check that you included all the moving masses, including the armature. When you add the weight of the armature and any other moving mass (such as a driver bar when connecting a slip table to the armature), the maximum weight of the test item is reduced. The equation is correct, but remember to add all the moving masses.