Looking to convert units of force in a snap? Our force converter tool has got you covered! With lightning-fast conversion rates, you can easily switch between popular force units such as newtons to dynes, pounds-force to newtons, kiloponds to newtons, and more.
But wait, there's more! We've also included the formulas behind the conversions, so you can better understand how the magic happens. Plus, learn about the fascinating origins and definitions of various force units, including the mighty newton.
So what are you waiting for? Keep scrolling, and let our force converter tool take the hassle out of unit conversions!
Force units
We've incorporated 30+ of the most commonly used force units into our force converter:
- newton
- kilonewton
- gram-force
- kilogram-force
- ton-force (metric)
- exanewton
- petanewton
- teranewton
- giganewton
- meganewton
- hectonewton
- dekanewton
- decinewton
- centinewton
- millinewton
- micronewton
- nanonewton
- piconewton
- femtonewton
- attonewton
- dyne
- joule/meter
- joule/centimeter
- ton-force (short)
- ton-force (long)
- kip-force
- kilopound-force
- pound-force
- ounce-force
- poundal
- pound foot/square second
- kilopond
Newton Unit
The newton - the very name sounds scientific, doesn't it? And it certainly is, being a basic SI unit of force used to measure how an object responds to an applied force. This unit is defined as the amount of force needed to accelerate a one-kilogram mass at the rate of one meter per second squared in the direction of the applied force.
In formulaic terms:
1 newton ≡ 1 kilogram × meter/second²
Interestingly, this unit was named after Sir Isaac Newton, a renowned physicist and mathematician whose contributions to science are immeasurable. The newton became standardized and widely accepted in 1950, and it can be defined from Newton's second law of motion, which states that:
F = m × a,
where F represents the force applied, m represents the mass of the object receiving the force, and a represents the acceleration of the object.
Therefore, we can say that one newton is equal to 1 kg × 1 m/s².
To get a better understanding of what one newton means in practice, let's consider a few examples. However, before we do so, it's essential to note that mass and weight have different meanings in everyday usage versus the world of physics. In everyday life, we use the term weight to describe the amount of "matter" in an object, and we express it in units such as kilograms or pounds.
So, if we were to apply one newton of force to a one-kilogram object, it would accelerate at a rate of one meter per second squared in the direction of the applied force. Some examples of the amount of force required to produce one newton include:
- A small apple weighing approximately 100 grams exerts a force of about one newton when held in your hand.
- A typical mosquito weighing roughly 2.5 milligrams exerts a force of around 0.000025 newtons when it lands on your skin.
- A book weighing one kilogram exerts a force of approximately 9.8 newtons when held still on a surface, due to the force of gravity.
How to Use Our Force Converter Tool
Here is a step-by-step guide on how to use our force converter tool:
- Open your web browser and navigate to the CommonTools.org website.
- Click on the "Force Converter" tool from the homepage or use the search bar to find the tool.
- Once you are on the force converter tool page, you will see a form with two dropdown menus: "From" and "To."
- In the "From" dropdown menu, select the unit of force you want to convert from. The available options include newton (N), dyne (dyn), kilogram-force (kgf), pound-force (lbf), and others.
- In the "To" dropdown menu, select the unit of force you want to convert to. You can select the same unit as your "From" unit to convert within the same unit type.
- Enter the value you want to convert into the input text box.
- The converted value will be displayed under Result and in ouput box.
- If you want to perform another conversion, simply enter a new value and repeat the process.
That's it! You have successfully used the force converter tool on CommonTools.org to convert a unit of the force to another unit of force.
Table of Force Units and Important Details
| Force Unit | Symbol | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Newton | N | The force required to accelerate a 1kg object at 1 m/s^2 |
| Kilonewton | kN | 1,000 newtons |
| Gram-force | gf | The force exerted on a mass of 1 gram due to gravity on Earth |
| Kilogram-force | kgf | The force exerted on a mass of 1 kilogram due to gravity on Earth |
| Ton-force (metric) | tf | 1,000 kgf or 9,806.65 newtons |
| Exanewton | EN | 1,000,000,000,000,000,000 newtons |
| Petanewton | PN | 1,000,000,000,000,000 newtons |
| Teranewton | TN | 1,000,000,000,000 newtons |
| Giganewton | GN | 1,000,000,000 newtons |
| Meganewton | MN | 1,000,000 newtons |
| Hectonewton | hN | 100 newtons |
| Dekanewton | daN | 10 newtons |
| Decinewton | dN | 0.1 newtons |
| Centinewton | cN | 0.01 newtons |
| Millinewton | mN | 0.001 newtons |
| Micronewton | μN or mcN | 0.000001 newtons or 10^-6 newtons |
| Nanonewton | nN | 0.000000001 newtons or 10^-9 newtons |
| Piconewton | pN | 0.000000000001 newtons or 10^-12 newtons |
| Femtonewton | fN | 0.000000000000001 newtons or 10^-15 newtons |
| Attonewton | aN | 0.000000000000000001 newtons or 10^-18 newtons |
| Dyne | dyn | The force required to accelerate a mass of 1 gram at a rate of 1 cm/s^2 |
| Joule/meter | J/m | The unit of surface tension |
| Joule/centimeter | J/cm | The unit of surface tension |
| Ton-force (short) | sh.ton or sht | 2,000 pounds-force or 8,896.44 newtons |
| Ton-force (long) | l.ton or ltn | 2,240 pounds-force or 9,964.02 newtons |
| Kip-force | kip | 1,000 pounds-force or 4.44822 kilonewtons |
| Kilopound-force | kipf or kips | 1,000 pounds-force or 4.44822 kilonewtons |
| Pound-force | lbf or lb | The force required to accelerate a mass of 1 pound at a rate of 32.174 ft/s^2 |
| Ounce-force | ozf | 1/16 pound-force or 0.278 newtons |
| Poundal | pdl | The force required to accelerate a |
Force Units Definitions, Examples, and Use cases
Newton [N]
Newton is the unit of force in the International System of Units (SI) and is defined as the amount of force required to accelerate a mass of 1 kilogram at a rate of 1 meter per second squared. The symbol for Newton is N. Newton is commonly used in physics and engineering to measure forces.
Conversion:
1 N = 1 kg*m/s^2
Example: If a force of 10 N is applied to an object with a mass of 2 kg, the object will accelerate at a rate of 5 m/s^2.
Kilonewton [kN]
Kilonewton is a unit of force that is equal to 1000 Newtons. The symbol for kilonewton is kN. Kilonewton is commonly used in engineering and construction to measure large forces.
Conversion:
1 kN = 1000 N
Example: The weight of a car is approximately 12 kN.
Gram-force [gf]
Gram-force is a unit of force that is equal to the force exerted by a mass of 1 gram under standard gravity (9.80665 m/s^2). The symbol for gram-force is gf.
Conversion:
1 gf = 0.00980665 N
Example: The force required to lift a small object with a mass of 10 grams is approximately 0.098 gf.
Kilogram-force [kgf]
Kilogram-force is a unit of force that is equal to the force exerted by a mass of 1 kilogram under standard gravity (9.80665 m/s^2). The symbol for kilogram-force is kgf.
Conversion:
1 kgf = 9.80665 N
Example: The weight of a person weighing 70 kg is approximately 686 kgf.
Ton-force (metric) [tf]
Ton-force is a unit of force that is equal to the force exerted by a mass of 1 metric ton under standard gravity (9.80665 m/s^2). The symbol for ton-force is tf.
Conversion:
1 tf = 9806.65 N
Example: The weight of a truck weighing 5 metric tons is approximately 49.033 tf.
Exanewton [EN]
Exanewton is a unit of force that is equal to one billion billion Newtons. The symbol for exanewton is EN.
Conversion:
1 EN = 10^18 N
Example: Exanewton is a very large unit of force and is rarely used in practical applications.
Petanewton [PT]
Petanewton is a unit of force that is equal to one quadrillion Newtons. The symbol for petanewton is PT.
Conversion:
1 PT = 10^15 N
Example: Petanewton is a very large unit of force and is rarely used in practical applications.
Teranewton [TN]
Teranewton is a unit of force that is equal to one trillion Newtons. The symbol for teranewton is TN.
Conversion:
1 TN = 10^12 N
Example: Teranewton is a very large unit of force and is rarely used in practical applications.
Giganewton [GN]
Giganewton is a unit of force that is equal to one billion Newtons. The symbol for giganewton is GN.
Conversion:
1 GN = 10^9 N
Example: Giganewton is commonly used in engineering and construction to measure large forces.
Meganewton [MN]
Meganewton is a unit of force that is equal to one million Newtons. The symbol for meganewton is MN.
Conversion:
1 MN = 10^6 N
Example: The maximum force that can be exerted by a large hydraulic press may be in the range of several meganewtons.
Hectonewton [hN]
Hectonewton is a unit of force that is equal to 100 Newtons. The symbol for hectonewton is hN.
Conversion:
1 hN = 100 N
Example: A typical weight of a bag of potatoes is around 5 hN.
Dekanewton [daN]
Dekanewton is a unit of force that is equal to 10 Newtons. The symbol for dekanewton is daN.
Conversion:
1 daN = 10 N
Example: The tension in a cable supporting a suspension bridge may be several thousand daN.
Decinewton [dN]
Decinewton is a unit of force that is equal to 0.1 Newtons. The symbol for decinewton is dN.
Conversion:
1 dN = 0.1 N
Example: The force required to operate a small spring-loaded switch may be in the range of several dN.
Centinewton [cN]
Centinewton is a unit of force that is equal to 0.01 Newtons. The symbol for centinewton is cN.
Conversion:
1 cN = 0.01 N
Example: The force required to press a key on a keyboard may be in the range of several cN.
Millinewton [mN]
Millinewton is a unit of force that is equal to 0.001 Newtons. The symbol for millinewton is mN.
Conversion:
1 mN = 0.001 N
Example: The force required to lift a small object with a mass of 1 gram is approximately 0.0098 mN.
Micronewton [µN]
Micronewton is a unit of force that is equal to 0.000001 Newtons. The symbol for micronewton is µN.
Conversion:
1 µN = 0.000001 N
Example: The force required to bend a thin wire may be in the range of several µN.
Nanonewton [nN]
Nanonewton is a unit of force that is equal to 0.000000001 Newtons. The symbol for nanonewton is nN.
Conversion:
1 nN = 0.000000001 N
Example: The force required to move a small particle using optical tweezers may be in the range of several nN.
Piconewton [pN]
Piconewton is a unit of force that is equal to 0.000000000001 Newtons. The symbol for piconewton is pN.
Conversion:
1 pN = 0.000000000001 N
Example: The force required to manipulate individual molecules using atomic force microscopy may be in the range of several pN.
Femtonewton [fN]
Femtonewton is a unit of force that is equal to 0.000000000000001 Newtons. The symbol for femtonewton is fN.
Conversion:
1 fN = 0.000000000000001 N
Example: The force required to detect the interaction between a single molecule and a biosensor may be in the range of several fN.
Attonewton [aN]
Attonewton is a unit of force that is equal to 0.000000000000000001 Newtons. The symbol for attonewton is aN.
Conversion:
1 aN = 0.000000000000000001 N
Example: The force required to measure the interactions between individual atoms using scanning probe microscopy may be in the range of several aN.
Dyne [dyn]
Dyne is a unit of force in the centimeter-gram-second (CGS) system of units. It is defined as the force required to accelerate a mass of 1 gram at a rate of 1 centimeter per second squared. The symbol for dyne is dyn.
Conversion:
1 dyn = 0.00001 N
Example: Dyne is rarely used in modern scientific and engineering applications.
Joule/meter [J/m]
Joule/meter is a unit of force per unit length in the SI system of units. It is defined as the force required to move an object with a mass of 1 kilogram a distance of 1 meter using 1 joule of energy. The symbol for joule/meter is J/m.
Conversion:
1 J/m = 1 N/m
Example: Joule/meter is commonly used in material science and mechanics to describe the elastic properties of materials.
Joule/centimeter [J/cm]
Joule/centimeter is a unit of force per unit length in the SI system of units. It is defined as the force required to move an object with a mass of 1 kilogram a distance of 1 centimeter using 1 joule of energy. The symbol for joule/centimeter is J/cm.
Conversion:
1 J/cm = 100 N/m
Example: Joule/centimeter is less commonly used than joule/meter in scientific and engineering applications.
Ton-force (short)
Ton-force (short) is a unit of force that is equal to the force exerted by a mass of 1 short ton under standard gravity (9.80665 m/s^2). The symbol for ton-force (short) is tonf (US).
Conversion:
1 tonf (US) = 8896.443 N
Example: Ton-force (short) is commonly used in the United States to measure forces in the context of material handling and transport.
Ton-force (long) [tonf (UK)]
Ton-force (long) is a unit of force that is equal to the force exerted by a mass of 1 long ton under standard gravity (9.80665 m/s^2). The symbol for ton-force (long) is tonf (UK).
Conversion:
1 tonf (UK) = 9964.017 N
Example: Ton-force (long) is commonly used in the United Kingdom to measure forces in the context of material handling and transport.
Kip-force [kipf]
Kip-force is a unit of force that is equal to 1000 pounds-force. The symbol for kip-force is kipf.
Conversion:
1 kipf = 4448.222 N
Example: Kip-force is commonly used in the United States to measure large forces in the context of construction and engineering.
Kilopound-force [kipf]
Kilopound-force is a unit of force that is equal to 1000 pounds-force. The symbol for kilopound-force is kipf.
Conversion:
1 kipf = 4448.222 N
Example: Kilopound-force is commonly used in the United States to measure large forces in the context of construction and engineering.
Pound-force [lbf]
Pound-force is a unit of force that is equal to the force required to accelerate a mass of 1 pound at a rate of 32.17405 feet per second squared. The symbol for pound-force is lbf.
Conversion:
1 lbf = 4.448222 N
Example: Pound-force is commonly used in the United States to measure forces in the context of material handling and transport.
Ounce-force [ozf]
Ounce-force is a unit of force that is equal to the force required to accelerate a mass of 1 ounce at a rate of 32.17405 feet per second squared. The symbol for ounce-force is ozf.
Conversion:
1 ozf = 0.2780139 N
Example: Ounce-force is rarely used in modern scientific and engineering applications.
Poundal [pdl]
Poundal is a unit of force in the CGS system of units. It is defined as the force required to accelerate a mass of 1 pound at a rate of 1 foot per second squared. The symbol for poundal is pdl.
Conversion:
1 pdl = 0.138254 N
Example: Poundal is rarely used in modern scientific and engineering applications.
Pound foot/square second [p]
Pound foot/square second is a unit of force per unit area in the English system of units. It is defined as the force required to accelerate a mass of 1 pound at a rate of 1 foot per second squared over an area of 1 square foot. The symbol for pound foot/square second is p.
Example: Pound foot/square second is rarely used in modern scientific and engineering applications.
Kilopond [kp]
Kilopond is a unit of force in the CGS system of units. It is defined as the force required to accelerate a mass of 1 kilogram at a rate of 9.80665 m/s^2. The symbol for kilopond is kp.
Conversion:
1 kp = 9.80665 N
Example: Kilopond is rarely used in modern scientific and engineering applications.
Important Force Unit Conversions
Below is a table of important force unit conversions. Please note that the values provided are approximate and may be rounded.
| From/To | Newton (N) | Pound-Force (lbf) | Kilogram-Force (kgf) | Dyne (dyn) | Kip (kip) | Meganewton (MN) | Poundal (pdl) | Ton-Force (t) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Newton (N) | 1 | 0.224809 | 0.101972 | 100000 | 0.001 | 0.000001 | 7.23301 | 0.00010197 |
| Pound-Force (lbf) | 4.448222 | 1 | 0.453592 | 444822.2 | 0.004448 | 0.000004448 | 32.17405 | 0.00045359 |
| Kilogram-Force (kgf) | 9.80665 | 2.204623 | 1 | 980665 | 0.009807 | 0.000009807 | 70.9316 | 0.001 |
| Dyne (dyn) | 0.00001 | 0.000002 | 0.00000102 | 1 | 0.00000001 | 0.00000000001 | 0.00007233 | 0.000000000102 |
| Kip (kip) | 4448.222 | 1000 | 453.5924 | 4448222000 | 1 | 0.001 | 7213.01 | 0.04535924 |
| Meganewton (MN) | 1000000 | 224809.017 | 101971.621 | 100000000000 | 1000 | 1 | 723300.64 | 10.1971621 |
| Poundal (pdl) | 0.138255 | 0.031081 | 0.014098 | 13825.5 | 0.000138 | 0.000000138 | 1 | 0.000014098 |
| Ton-Force (t) | 9806.65 | 2204.623 | 1000 | 9806650000 | 9.80665 | 0.009807 | 7093160 | 1 |
Conclusion
In conclusion, the online force converter tool mentioned can be a useful resource for anyone who needs to inter-convert between various force units. With its ability to convert over 30 different units, including newton, kilonewton, gram-force, kilogram-force, and more, this tool can make it easy to quickly and accurately convert force measurements for a wide range of applications. Whether you're a student studying physics, an engineer working on a project, or simply need to convert force units for everyday use, this tool can provide a convenient and reliable solution.