Force Converter

With our force converter, you can quickly change between different units of force. Whether you're looking for the conversion from newton to dynes, newtons to pounds-force, kilopond to newton, or any other conversion between popular units, this tool is a safe bet.

Keep scrolling to find the formulas behind the force conversions and to read about the newton unit definition and the origins of different force units.

In our force converter, we implemented eleven most popular force units:

• newtons (N);
• kilonewtons (kN);
• meganewtons (MN);
• giganewtons (GN);
• teranewtons (TN);
• poundals (pdl);
• pounds-force (lbf);
• kips (kip), also called kip-forces (kipf or klbf);
• dynes (dyn);
• sthènes (sn); and
• kiloponds (kp) also called kilogram-force (kgf).

Below you'll find the formulas to convert 10 popular force units into newtons:

• 1 kilonewton [kN] = 1000 newton [N]

• 1 meganewton [MN] = 1000000 newton [N]

• 1 giganewton [GN] = 1000000000 newton [N]

• 1 teranewton [TN] = 1000000000000 newton [N]

• 1 poundal [pdl] = 0.1382549544 newton [N]

• 1 pounds-force [lbf] = 4.4482216153 newton [N]

• 1 kip [kip] = 4448.2216152548 newton [N]

• 1 dyne [dyn] = 0.00001 newton [N]

• 1 sthènes [sn] = 1000000000 newton [N]

• 1 kilopond [kp] = 9.80665 newton [N]

The newton is a basic SI unit of force, which is equal to the force needed to accelerate one kilogram of mass at the rate of one meter per second squared in the direction of the applied force:

1 newton ≡ 1 kilogram × meter/second²

The unit was named after Sir Isaac Newton and was standardized and widely accepted in 1950. You can define it from Newton's second law of motion, which states that:

F = m × a, so the newton is 1 N = 1 kg × 1 m/s²,

where:

• F – Force applied;
• m – Mass of the object receiving the force; and
• a – Acceleration of the object.

To have a grasp of that unit and understand how much one newton is, let's have a look at some examples. But first of all, we need to explain that mass and weight mean something different in common usage and the physics world. In everyday life, we use the weight term to express the concept of quantity – the amount of "matter" in an object, and we express it in, e.g., kilograms or pounds.

However, physicists will call that quantity mass, and the weight word is reserved for the amount of force acting on the object, either due to gravity or to a reaction force that holds it in place. The weight is then expressed in force units – newtons. Seems complicated, huh?

Have a look at our explanatory table, and all should be clear!

We know that average gravity on Earth is equal to approximately g = 9.81 m/s², so if we're on Earth:

1. One newton is the force equal to the weight of an average apple with a mass of 102 g.

2. An object with a mass of one kilogram, e.g., 1 kg of sugar will weigh ~9.81 newtons on the surface of the Earth.

3. Again, in Earth gravity, 1 kN = 102 kg = 225 lbs.

4. 1-ton car will weigh 10 kN on the Earth's surface.

To sum up – if we're talking about the objects on the Earth's surface, all we need to do is to divide the weight in newtons by 9.81 (or 10 if we only need a rough estimation) to obtain the mass in kilograms.

However, if we want to know the weight on other planets, we need to take into account the different gravitational forces on each planet. So the mass will remain the same, but the object's weight will differ.

If you're curious what's your weight on other planets (in comparison to your weight on the Earth, as we now understand that mass is constant), check out our great weight on other planets calculator.

On a daily basis, we tend to use kilonewtons rather than newtons to express forces. One kilonewton is equal to 1000 newtons:

1 kN = 1000 N

You can encounter forces expressed in kN in:

• The building industry;
• Thrust of jet or rocket engines;
• Rock climbing equipment; and
• Many others.

Though the newton unit is the basic unit from the SI system, other units also exist (and that's why we need this force converter). What are these units' origins, and where are they used?

1. Dynes

Dynes are the units from the predecessor of the SI system – the CGS system of units. They're rarely used nowadays, but you can find them in old physics books. The dyne per centimeter is a unit that is still used in surface tension measurements. To learn more, go to the CGS system of units converter.

2. Kiloponds

Kiloponds, also named kilogram-force, are the force units from a gravitational metric system. It's equal to the magnitude of the force exerted on one kilogram of mass in a 9.80665 m/s² gravitational field. It's still used, but to express very specific things:

• The thrust of a rocket engine (in China and by the European Space Agency);

• The tension of bicycle spokes;

• The draw weight of bows in archery; and

• As a standard unit for Vickers hardness testing.

3. Pound-force

Pound-force is defined as the gravitational force exerted on a mass of one avoirdupois pound on the surface of Earth. It's used in systems such as English Engineering units and the British Gravitational System.

4. Poundals

One poundal is equal to the force necessary to accelerate one pound-mass at one foot per second. A poundal is a unit from the foot–pound–second system (FPS), and it's still in occasional use.

5. Kips

Kips are the US customary unit of force. The name comes from combining the words kilo and pound. It may be confusing, but kips are sometimes considered a unit of weight, not force, e.g., for expression of the deadweight to compute shipping charges.

If you don't believe that the calculations with this force converter are so easy, have a look at this step-by-step example:

1. Choose the unit you want to convert. Assume that we want to convert 700 newtons to pounds-force.

2. Type the value into the correct box. If it's not visible, in the "More force units" box, you can select the proper unit from a drop-down list.

3. The force conversion is performed in a blink of an eye! Now you know that you can convert 700 newtons to 157.37 lbf, as well as, e.g., 5063 pdl and 71.38 kp.