Force Converter

Written byOleh Soloninupdated 25 September 2026

Value

From

Result

Result101.971621
From unitnewton
To unitkilogram-force
Conversion factor0.101972
Inverse factor9.80665
In other units
kilonewton: 1 gram-force: 101,971.62 tonne-force: 0.101972 pound-force: 224.81 dyne: 100,000,000

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.

How to use

Enter a force.
Choose the unit you are converting from: newtons, kilonewtons, kilogram-force, gram-force, tonne-force, pound-force or dynes.
Choose the unit you are converting to. Below it you get the factors and the same value in the other units.

Newtons and kilogram-force

A kilogram-force is the weight of a kilogram under standard gravity, 9.80665 N. So a '200 kg' force in a specification is 1.96 kN, and a kilonewton is roughly a hundred kilogram-force.

Every row comes from the calculator on this page.
From	To
1 kgf	9.80665 N
1,000 N	101.97 kgf
1 kN	101.97 kgf
200 kgf	1.96 kN
1 tonne-force	9.81 kN
5 tonne-force	49.03 kN

Pound-force, gram-force and dynes

A pound-force is the weight of a pound, 4.448 N. The dyne belongs to the CGS system and is a hundred-thousandth of a newton.

Every row comes from the calculator on this page.
From	To
1 lbf	4.448 N
100 lbf	45.36 kgf
1 gram-force	0.0098 N
1 N	100,000 dyn

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 estimates a factor of 10 is enough: a hundred kilogram-force is about a kilonewton.

How many kgf in a kilonewton?

101.97 — almost exactly a hundred kilograms' weight.

How is a kilogram different from a kilogram-force?

A kilogram is mass; a kilogram-force is that mass's weight on Earth. Mass stays the same; weight depends on gravity.

What is a tonne-force?

A thousand kilogram-force, or 9,806.65 newtons. Presses and jacks are often rated in it: a 5-tonne jack is 49 kN.

How many newtons in a pound-force?

4.448. A hundred pound-force is 45.36 kgf.

Where is the dyne used?

In the CGS system, still used in some branches 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.

Useful links

All tools in Converters for units, temperature, weight, and cooking measures

Force Converter

Result

Related tools

Torque Converter

Force, Work and Power

Weight Converter

Useful links