cn

cN is a symbol used in several technical contexts, most commonly to denote the centinewton, a unit of force. A centinewton equals one hundredth of a newton, or 0.01 N. The prefix centi- indicates 10^-2, so 1 cN = 0.01 N. In practical terms, 1 cN is roughly the weight of about 1.02 grams under standard Earth gravity. The unit is handy for measuring small forces in fields such as textile testing, tactile sensing, micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS), and calibrated force sensors. It frequently appears on datasheets and readouts for micro-scale force measurements.

Because of capitalization conventions, cN is distinct from CN, the chemical symbol often used for the cyanide group (-CN) or the cyanogen radical CN, and from other field-specific abbreviations that use CN. In many contexts outside engineering, the notation cN does not carry a universally fixed meaning and must be interpreted from the surrounding content. In sum, when encountered in scientific writing, cN most often denotes centinewton, while other meanings may exist depending on the domain and context.