Force Converter

Force is a push or pull that changes how an object moves: F = m * a, mass times acceleration. Its SI unit is the newton (N), the force that accelerates one kilogram by one meter per second squared.

Weight is a force, the pull of gravity on a mass. Under standard gravity, 9.80665 m/s², a 1 kg mass weighs 9.80665 N, which is one kilogram-force (kgf). The pound-force (lbf) is the same idea for a pound.

How to convert force units

Type a value into any field, and every other unit is calculated at once. For example, 500 N:

1. In kilogram-force: divide by 9.80665.

   500 / 9.80665 = 50.99 kgf

2. In pound-force: divide by 4.44822.

   500 / 4.44822 = 112.4 lbf

To find a weight in newtons, multiply the mass in kilograms by 9.80665: 70 kg weighs about 686 N.

Common conversions

Force units

• Newton (N): The Newton is the standard unit of force in the International System of Units (SI). It represents the force required to accelerate a mass of one kilogram at a rate of one meter per second squared.
  Conversion factor: 1 N = 1 kg·m/s²

• Kilonewton (kN): The Kilonewton is equivalent to one thousand Newtons, denoting a larger magnitude of force often encountered in engineering and structural analysis.
  Conversion factor: 1 kN = 1000 N

• Kilogram-force (kgf): The kilogram-force is equal to the magnitude of the force exerted on one kilogram of mass in a 9.80665 m/s² gravitational field (standard gravity on Earth).
  Conversion factor: 1 kgf = 9.80665 N

• Gram-force (gf): The gram-force is equivalent to 0.001 kilogram-force: the weight of one gram under standard gravity.
  Conversion factor: 1 gf = 0.001 kgf = 0.00980665 N

• Pound-force (lbf): The pound-force is equal to the gravitational force exerted on a mass of one pound on the surface of Earth. It is commonly used in engineering applications in the United States.
  Conversion factor: 1 lbf = 4.44822 N

• Ounce-force (ozf): An ounce-force is 1/16 of a pound-force. It is defined as the force exerted by a mass of one ounce under standard gravity (at the surface of the earth).
  Conversion factor: 1 ozf = 1/16 lbf = 0.2780139 N

• Joule/meter (J/m): The joule per meter is energy per unit of distance, which is a force: one joule per meter is one newton.
  Conversion factor: 1 J/m = 1 N

• Dyne (dyn): The Dyne is a centimeter-gram-second (CGS) unit of force that represents the force required to accelerate a mass of one gram at a rate of one centimeter per second squared.
  Conversion factor: 1 dyn = 1 g·cm/s² = 0.00001 N

• Poundal (pdl): The Poundal is a unit of force in the foot-pound-second (FPS) system that represents the force required to accelerate a one-pound mass at a rate of one foot per second squared.
  Conversion factor: 1 pdl = 1 lb·ft/s² = 0.138255 N

Frequently asked questions

How many kilograms is 1 kN?

A force of 1 kN is the weight of about 102 kg: 1,000 / 9.80665 = 101.97 kgf. This is why a 25.4 kN rating, as on climbing gear, is about 2,590 kgf.

Is a kilogram a unit of force?

No, it is a unit of mass. In everyday speech "kilograms" often means kilogram-force, the weight of that mass, but in physics a force is in newtons.