Force Converter
Convert force between units instantly. Includes conversion tables, common equivalents, and calculation formulas. Includes formulas and worked examples.
Force Converter
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Formula: F = ma | 1 N = 1 kg m/s2 | 1 lbf = 4.44822 N | 1 kgf = 9.80665 N
Worked example โ 5 kN = 5,000 N = 1,124 lbf = 509.9 kgf
Formula
F = ma | 1 N = 1 kg m/s2 | 1 lbf = 4.44822 N | 1 kgf = 9.80665 N
The newton is the SI unit of force defined as the force to accelerate 1 kg at 1 m/s2. All force unit conversions use the newton as the base. Key factors: 1 pound-force = 4.44822 N, 1 kilogram-force = 9.80665 N, 1 dyne = 0.00001 N, 1 poundal = 0.138255 N, 1 kip = 4448.22 N.
Worked Examples
Example 1: Structural Load Conversion
Problem:A beam supports 5 kilonewtons. Convert to pound-force and kilogram-force.
Solution:Newtons: 5 x 1,000 = 5,000 N Pound-force: 5,000 / 4.44822 = 1,124.04 lbf Kilogram-force: 5,000 / 9.80665 = 509.86 kgf Kip-force: 1,124.04 / 1,000 = 1.124 kipf
Result:5 kN = 5,000 N = 1,124 lbf = 509.9 kgf
Example 2: Weight to Force
Problem:Convert a 25 pound-force spring tension to newtons and kilogram-force.
Solution:Newtons: 25 x 4.44822 = 111.206 N Kilogram-force: 111.206 / 9.80665 = 11.340 kgf Dynes: 111.206 / 0.00001 = 11,120,550 dyn
Result:25 lbf = 111.21 N = 11.34 kgf
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a newton and what does it measure?
A newton (N) is the SI unit of force, named after Sir Isaac Newton. It is defined as the force required to accelerate a mass of one kilogram at a rate of one meter per second squared (1 N = 1 kg m/s2). In everyday terms, one newton is roughly the weight of a small apple (about 102 grams). Newtons are used universally in physics, engineering, and science to measure forces including gravity, friction, tension, and applied forces.
How do I convert between newtons and pound-force?
To convert newtons to pound-force, divide by 4.44822. To convert pound-force to newtons, multiply by 4.44822. For example, 50 N equals 11.24 lbf (50 / 4.44822), and 100 lbf equals 444.82 N (100 x 4.44822). Pound-force is the standard force unit in US customary engineering, while newtons are used everywhere else. A kip equals 1,000 pounds-force and is commonly used in structural engineering in the US.
What is the difference between a kilogram and a kilogram-force?
A kilogram (kg) is a unit of mass, while a kilogram-force (kgf) is a unit of force equal to the gravitational pull on a 1 kg mass at standard gravity (9.80665 m/s2). So 1 kgf = 9.80665 N. When someone says an object weighs 10 kg, they technically mean its weight is 10 kgf or 98.07 N. This distinction is critical in engineering but often ignored in everyday life where mass and weight are used interchangeably on Earth.
What is a poundal and how does it differ from a pound-force?
A poundal is the force needed to accelerate a mass of one pound by one foot per second squared. It equals approximately 0.138255 newtons. Unlike the pound-force (which equals 4.44822 N and depends on Earth gravity), the poundal is a purely absolute unit derived from mass, length, and time alone. One pound-force equals about 32.174 poundals, matching the standard acceleration of gravity in ft/s2. Poundals are rarely used today but appear in some older engineering texts.
How is force related to mass and acceleration?
Force equals mass times acceleration (F = ma), which is Newton's second law of motion. In SI units, a force of 1 newton accelerates a 1 kg mass at 1 m/s2. Weight is the special case where acceleration is gravitational (9.80665 m/s2 on Earth). A 70 kg person has a weight force of 686.47 N (70 x 9.80665). Force Converter converts between force units, and also shows the equivalent mass at Earth gravity for reference.
What is a dyne and where is it still used?
A dyne is the unit of force in the centimeter-gram-second system, defined as the force that accelerates one gram at one centimeter per second squared. It equals exactly ten to the minus five newtons, so one hundred thousand dynes make a newton. Because it is so small, the dyne survives mainly in surface tension measurements, older physics literature, and some astrophysical work, where quantities expressed in CGS units avoid awkwardly tiny numbers.
Why can force units not be interchanged with torque units?
Force is a push or pull measured in newtons, while torque is the turning effect of a force applied at a distance from an axis and is measured in newton meters. They are different physical quantities even though the torque unit is built from the force unit, so a fastener specification of 40 N m can never be reported as 40 N. Torque equals force multiplied by the perpendicular lever arm, which is why the same force produces more torque on a longer wrench.
How much force does a given mass exert on the Moon compared with Earth?
Weight is mass multiplied by the local gravitational acceleration, so it changes with location while mass does not. Using standard Earth gravity of 9.80665 m/s2, a 70 kg mass presses down with about 686.5 N. Lunar surface gravity is roughly 1.62 m/s2, giving about 113 N for the same mass, close to one sixth of the Earth value. A balance comparing masses reads the same in both places, but a spring scale calibrated in newtons does not.
How are kips and kilonewtons used in structural engineering?
A kip is one thousand pounds-force and is the working unit for member loads and support reactions in US structural practice, while most of the world uses kilonewtons. Since a pound-force is 4.44822 newtons, one kip equals 4.44822 kN, and conversely one kilonewton is about 0.2248 kip. Both units exist because raw pounds or newtons produce unwieldy numbers on building frames, and folding the multiplier into the unit name reduces transcription errors on drawings.
How do I convert a pressure into the force acting on a surface?
Force equals pressure multiplied by the area over which it acts, which is exactly why the pascal is defined as one newton per square meter. A pressure of 200 kPa acting on a piston face of 0.05 square meters produces 200,000 times 0.05, or 10,000 newtons, which is 10 kN. Convert the pressure to pascals and the area to square meters first, because mixing bar or psi with square centimeters is a frequent source of order-of-magnitude errors.
References
Background & Theory
1 newton = 0.224808943 lbf = 0.101971621 kgf = 100,000 dyne. The newton is the coherent SI unit - one kilogram-metre per second squared - and every other force unit here is defined against it exactly.
Conversion reference table
| Conversion | Equivalent | Exact or rounded? |
|---|---|---|
| 1 newton | 1 kilogram metre per second squared | Exact by definition |
| 1 pound-force | 4.4482216152605 newtons | Exact |
| 1 kilogram-force | 9.80665 newtons | Exact |
| 1 dyne | 0.00001 newtons | Exact (CGS unit) |
| 1 poundal | 0.138254954376 newtons | Exact |
| 1 kip | 1,000 pounds-force = 4,448.2216 newtons | Exact / derived |
| 1 newton | 0.224808943 pounds-force | Derived, rounded |
| 1 tonne-force | 9,806.65 newtons | Exact |
Two families sit in this table. Absolute units - the newton, the dyne and the poundal - come straight from mass times acceleration and contain no reference to gravity. Gravitational units - the pound-force, the kilogram-force and the tonne-force - are defined as the weight of a stated mass under standard gravity of exactly 9.80665 m/s2. The kip, a thousand pounds-force, is standard in North American structural engineering.
Reviewed for accuracy by Manoj Kumar, Mathematics Educator ยท Editorial policy
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