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Force Converter

Force is a push or a pull measured in newtons, and each trade keeps its own unit: engineers quote kilonewtons, drivers meet pound-force on a jack, chemists use kilogram-force and surface scientists use dynes. A 100 N load, a 22.48 lbf load and a 10.2 kgf load are one push wearing three labels. Convert once here and the whole set lines up, the quickest way to spot a spec sheet mixing its systems.

Enter values

The push or pull you want expressed in another unit

Newtons in physics, kilogram-force where scales read in kg

Results update as you type.

Results

In pounds-force (lbf)
22.4809
In kilonewtons (kN)
0.1
In kilogram-force (kgf)
10.1972
In dynes (dyn)
10,000,000
Exact factor
1 N = 0.2248089431 lbf

How is the Force Converter calculated?

Type the force, select the unit it is written in, and select the unit you want. The headline result carries your answer, while the rows underneath repeat the same force in newtons, kilonewtons, pound-force, kilogram-force and dynes so a wrong scale is impossible to miss. The final row shows the exact factor — 1 N = 0.2248089431 lbf — so the sum can be checked on paper. Zero is allowed, and any decimal up to a billion is accepted.

Formula

Every path runs through newtons: newtons = value × from-unit factor, then target = newtons ÷ to-unit factor. Exact factors: 1 kN = 1,000 N · 1 kgf = 9.80665 N · 1 lbf = 4.4482216152605 N · 1 dyn = 0.00001 N. Pounds-force to newtons is × 4.4482216152605; newtons to pounds-force is × 0.2248089431.

Example

A 100 N force is 100 × 0.2248089431 = 22.48 lbf, roughly the weight of a 2.2 kg bag of flour. A 70 kgf hydraulic ram pushes with 70 × 9.80665 = 686.47 N, or 0.686 kN. Lifting a 150 lb engine block means 150 × 4.4482216152605 = 667.23 N. At the tiny end, the surface tension of water is 0.072 N/m, which in CGS is 72 dyn per centimetre — small numbers, same newton underneath.

Things to remember

Newtons tie the systems together: one newton is the force giving a one-kilogram mass an acceleration of one metre per second squared, and every other unit here is a fixed multiple of it. Quote force with the unit spelled out, keep the exact factor, and a mixed-unit spec sheet reveals itself immediately.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between a kilogram and a kilogram-force?

A kilogram measures mass; a kilogram-force measures the pull gravity exerts on that mass at standard gravity, 9.80665 N. So 1 kgf is a force and 1 kg is not. Dividing a body mass in kilograms by 10.2 — or multiplying by 9.80665 — gives the pull in newtons.

How do I convert newtons to pounds-force?

Multiply newtons by 0.2248089431. A 100 N load is 22.48 lbf and a 500 N one is 112.40 lbf. For the reverse, multiply pounds-force by 4.4482216152605: 150 lbf is 667.23 N. Note this is pounds of force, not pounds of mass — the two agree only at standard gravity.

Why would anyone still use dynes?

Because the CGS system keeps small forces readable: 1 dyn = 0.00001 N, so the surface tension of water, 0.072 N/m, becomes a neat 72 dyn per centimetre. Capillary action, bubble pressure and polymer physics papers still quote dynes, and converting takes one multiplication.

Is weight a force, and which unit should I use?

Weight is a force: the gravity pulling on your mass. On Earth a 70 kg person weighs 70 × 9.80665 = 686.47 N, which is 154.32 lbf or exactly 70 kgf. Scales that read kilograms report mass, so the weight figure changes on the Moon while the mass does not.

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