What are newtons?

Newton is the unit of force in the international system of units, usually abbreviated "N." It is defined as the force required to move one kilogram of mass at an acceleration rate of one meter per second squared.

One newton is equivalent to 100,000 dynes of force, in the centimeter-gram-second system of units, and equal to about 0.2248 pounds of force, in the foot-pound-second system of units. It is named after Sir Isaac Newton, who described that force can bring changes in the movement of an object, in his second law of motion. This law states that force equals mass times acceleration (F=ma).