Force Converter
Convert a force between newtons, kilonewtons, pound-force, kilogram-force, and dynes. One pound-force is 4.4482216152605 N. This is force, not mass and not torque.
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How to convert newtons to pound-force
- Enter the force. The default is 1 newton.
- Keep From as Newtons and To as Pound-force, or pick kilonewtons, kilogram-force, or dynes.
- Read pound-force. Divide newtons by 4.4482216152605.
- Swap units to start from lbf or kgf. The number never leaves this browser.
Newton
SI force (kg·m/s²)
| Newton | 1 N = 1 kg m/s^2 |
|---|---|
| Pound-force | 1 lbf = 0.45359237 kg × 9.80665 m/s² = 4.4482216152605 N |
| Kilogram-force | 1 kgf = 9.80665 N |
| Kilonewton | 1 kN = 1000 N |
| Dyne | CGS unit, 1 dyn = 1e-5 N |
| Related torque | Torque is force times lever arm on the torque converter |
What this force converter does
Force is a push or pull. The SI unit is the newton: the force that gives 1 kg an acceleration of 1 m/s². Pound-force (lbf) is the force that standard gravity, 9.80665 m/s², exerts on one avoirdupois pound of 0.45359237 kg, so 1 lbf = 4.4482216152605 N. Kilogram-force (kgf) is that same standard gravity on 1 kg, exactly 9.80665 N. The dyne is the centimeter-gram-second unit, 1e-5 N.
Mass in kilograms and pounds lives on mass. A turning moment in N·m lives on torque. Pressure (force per area) lives on pressure.
Force factors
Values move into newtons, then out. lbf = N / 4.4482216152605. kgf = N / 9.80665. kN = N / 1000. dyn = N / 1e-5. The page does not multiply by a local g that differs from 9.80665. Weighing on the Moon still needs a mass converter plus a gravity you supply elsewhere.
Force, weight, and kilogram-force
Bathroom scales labelled in kg report mass by assuming standard gravity. A spec sheet in kgf is already a force. Do not treat 1 kg and 1 kgf as interchangeable in a free-body diagram. Structural loads in kN and fastener ratings in lbf are the same kind of quantity on this list. Energy in joules is not here.
When to convert force here
Move a load rating from kN to lbf, check a kgf figure against newtons, or read a CGS dyne into SI. Leave wrench settings on the torque page. Leave body weight on mass.
What this page does not do
It does not convert mass. It does not convert torque or energy. It does not apply planetary gravity. Input stays in this tab.