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Converted Force
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Overview
Force is measured in many units:
- Newton (N) – SI unit.
- Pound-force (lbf) – English unit (1 lbf ≈ 4.44822 N).
- Dyne (dyn) – CGS unit (1 dyn = 10⁻⁵ N).
- Kilogram-force (kgf) – gravitational unit (1 kgf = 9.80665 N).
- Ounce-force (ozf) – 1 ozf = (1/16) lbf ≈ 0.2780139 N.
- Poundal (pdl) – English foot‐pound system, 1 pdl ≈ 0.138255 N.
Check Advanced Mode to access extra units like kip, ton-force, sthene, atomic unit, etc.
Formula & Methodology
We convert every unit to the base unit Newton (N). 1) Multiply input by its factor → m/s² per unit → N. 2) Divide that Newton value by the factor of the target unit.
Below is the conversion table (Unit → N):
| Unit | Symbol | Factor (→ N) | Definition / Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Newton | N | 1 | SI base |
| Pound-force | lbf | 4.448221615 | 1 lbf = 4.448221615 N |
| Dyne | dyn | 1e-5 | 1 dyn = 10⁻⁵ N |
| Kilogram-force | kgf | 9.80665 | 1 kgf = 9.80665 N |
| Ounce-force | ozf | 0.278013851 | 1 ozf = 1/16 lbf ≈ 0.2780139 N |
| Poundal | pdl | 0.138255 | 1 pdl = 0.138255 N |
| Kip-force | kipf | 4448.221615 | 1 kip = 1000 lbf = 4448.221615 N |
| Ton-force (long) | tnf | 9964.016 | 1 long ton = 2240 lb × 4.44822 = 9964.016 N |
| Ton-force (short) | tnf_s | 8896.443 | 1 short ton = 2000 lb × 4.44822 = 8896.443 N |
| Sthene | st | 1000 | 1 st = 1000 N (MTS system) |
| Milligrave-force | mgvf | 0.00980665 | 1 mgvf = 10⁻³ kgf = 0.00980665 N |
| Atomic unit of force | a.u. | 8.238722576e-8 | 1 a.u. ≈ 8.2387226×10⁻⁸ N |
Examples
-
Convert 50 lbf to N:
50 × 4.448221615 = 222.411 N -
Convert 2 kgf to lbf:
2 × 9.80665 = 19.6133 N → 19.6133 ÷ 4.44822 ≈ 4.411 lbf -
Convert 1 kipf to dyn (Advanced Mode):
1 kip = 4448.221615 N → ÷ 10⁻⁵ = 4.448221615×10⁸ dyn -
Convert 10000 dyn to ozf (Advanced Mode):
10000 × 10⁻⁵ = 0.1 N → 0.1 ÷ 0.2780139 ≈ 0.3595 ozf -
Convert 5 st to kgf (Advanced Mode):
5 × 1000 = 5000 N → 5000 ÷ 9.80665 ≈ 509.756 kgf
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between lbf and kgf?
lbf is the force needed to accelerate 1 slugs at 1 ft/s², equal to ~4.44822 N. kgf is the force of gravity on 1 kg at Earth's standard gravity, 9.80665 N.
Why use Newton as the base unit?
Newton (N) is the SI unit of force. Converting all units to N ensures consistency and minimal rounding error.
What is a poundal (pdl)?
A poundal is an old English unit: the force needed to accelerate 1 lb m (pound mass) at 1 ft/s². It equals ~0.138255 N.
Is 1 sthene = 1 kN?
Yes. 1 sthene (st) in the MTS system equals 1000 Newtons, or 1 kN.
What is the atomic unit of force?
The atomic unit of force is the force between two electrons at a distance of one Bohr radius. It’s ≈ 8.2387×10⁻⁸ N—mainly used in quantum chemistry.