Force Converter

Value

From

Result

Result101.971621
From unitnewton
To unitkilogram-force
Conversion factor0.101972
Inverse factor9.80665
In other unitskilonewton: 1 gram-force: 101971.621298 tonne-force: 0.101972 pound-force: 224.808943 dyne: 100000000

A kilogram of mass is not a kilogram of force

Converts force between newtons, kilogram-force, tonne-force, pound-force and dynes.

The kilogram is a unit of mass and the kilogram-force a unit of force, and the shared name misleads constantly. A kilogram-force is the weight of one kilogram at the Earth's surface — 9.81 newtons.

The practical consequence: when a specification says 'force 200 kg', it means 200 kilogram-force, or almost two kilonewtons. Comparing that with newtons without the factor of 9.81 is wrong by an order of magnitude.

What this calculator shows

A conversion between the pair of force units you pick
The conversion factor in both directions
The same quantity in the other units

What to keep in mind

Kilogram-force uses the standard gravitational acceleration of 9.80665 m/s².
On the Moon the same mass gives a sixth of the force: the kilogram-force is tied to Earth's gravity.

FAQs

How many newtons in a kilogram-force?

9.80665. For rough work a factor of 10 is fine: a hundred kilogram-force is about a kilonewton.

How does a kilogram differ from a kilogram-force?

A kilogram is mass; a kilogram-force is what that mass weighs on Earth. Mass does not change, weight depends on gravity.

What is a tonne-force?

A thousand kilogram-force, or 9,806.65 newtons. Press capacity and jack ratings are usually quoted in it.

Where do dynes turn up?

In the CGS system, still used in parts of physics. One dyne is a hundred-thousandth of a newton.

Worked example

A thousand newtons

Input: 1,000 N into kilogram-force

Output: 101.97 kgf

Note: Essentially a hundred kilograms of force. Which gives a handy rule of thumb: a kilonewton is about a hundred kilograms of weight, and a tonne-force is nearly ten kilonewtons.

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