Force Converter

Convert force between newtons, kilonewtons, pound-force, kilogram-force, dynes, kips and other units.

How to use the Force Converter

  1. Type the value you want to convert in the first box.
  2. Choose the unit you are converting from and the unit you want to convert to.
  3. Read the result instantly. Use the swap button to reverse the direction, or copy the result with one click.

Popular force conversions

ConversionResultFormula
Newtons to pounds-force1 N = 0.224809 lbfpounds-force = newtons × 0.22480894
Pounds-force to newtons1 lbf = 4.44822 Nnewtons = pounds-force × 4.4482216
Newtons to kilograms-force1 N = 0.101972 kgfkilograms-force = newtons × 0.10197162
Kilograms-force to newtons1 kgf = 9.80665 Nnewtons = kilograms-force × 9.80665
Kilonewtons to pounds-force1 kN = 224.809 lbfpounds-force = kilonewtons × 224.80894
Pounds-force to kilonewtons1 lbf = 0.00444822 kNkilonewtons = pounds-force × 0.0044482216
Kilograms-force to pounds-force1 kgf = 2.20462 lbfpounds-force = kilograms-force × 2.2046226
Pounds-force to kilograms-force1 lbf = 0.453592 kgfkilograms-force = pounds-force × 0.45359237

Supported force units

UnitSymbolEqual to
NewtonN1 N
KilonewtonkN1,000 N
MeganewtonMN1,000,000 N
MillinewtonmN0.001 N
Dynedyn0.00001 N
Kilogram-forcekgf9.80665 N
Gram-forcegf0.00980665 N
Tonne-forcetf9,806.65 N
Pound-forcelbf4.4482216 N
Ounce-forceozf0.27801385 N
Kipkip4,448.2216 N
Poundalpdl0.13825495 N

What force units mean

One newton is the force needed to accelerate a mass of one kilogram at one meter per second squared (F = m × a). Engineering loads are usually given in kilonewtons.

Gravitational units describe the weight of a mass under standard gravity: one kilogram-force (also called kilopond) is 9.80665 N, and one pound-force is 4.44822 N. A kip is 1,000 pound-force and is common in US structural engineering.

A handy rule of thumb: 1 kgf is close to 10 N, and 1 kN is roughly the weight of a 100 kg mass.

Frequently asked questions

How many newtons are in a pound-force?

One pound-force is about 4.44822 newtons. One newton is about 0.224809 pound-force.

How many newtons is 1 kgf?

One kilogram-force is exactly 9.80665 newtons.

What is a kip?

A kip is 1,000 pound-force, about 4.448 kilonewtons.

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