1 kgf in newtons
- Value
- 1 kgf
- From
- kilogram-force (kgf)
- To
- newton (N)
- Converted value
- 9.80665 N
Checked against: 1 kgf = 1 kg × 9.80665 m/s² (standard gravity, CGPM 1901)
Force converter
Convert kgf to newtons, lbf to N and kN to kgf or lbf, using standard gravity (9.80665 m/s²) and the exact pound-force of 4.4482216152605 N.
By AdminDrafted with AI writing toolsUpdated Checked examples: 4
Converted value
N
Converted value: 9.80665 N
- Conversion
- 1 kgf = 9.80665 N
- Conversion factor
- 9.80665
- Exactness
- Exact
1 kgf is exactly 9.80665 N.
The same amount counted in each unit
1 kgf in every Force unit
| Unit | Value | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| newton (N) | 9.80665 | Base unit |
| kilonewton (kN) | 0.00980665 | 1 kN = 1,000 N, exact |
| dyne (dyn) | 980,665 | 1 dyn = 0.00001 N, exact |
| pound-force (lbf) | 2.204623 | 1 lbf = 4.4482216152605 N, exact |
| kilogram-force (kgf) | 1 | 1 kgf = 9.80665 N, exact |
| ounce-force (ozf) | 35.27396 | 1 ozf = 0.27801385095378125 N, exact |
| poundal (pdl) | 70.93164 | 1 pdl = 0.138254954376 N, exact |
How it's calculated S
Convert kilogram-force to newton
1 kgf = 9.80665 N, exact
Both units are defined exactly and the converted mathematical value has a terminating decimal. A displayed result may still be rounded.
About the force converter
Every force unit is a fixed number of newtons, and one newton accelerates 1 kg at 1 m/s². The gravitational units use standard gravity, g₀ = 9.80665 m/s², set by the 3rd CGPM in 1901: a kilogram-force is 9.80665 N and a pound-force is 0.45359237 kg × 9.80665 m/s² = 4.4482216152605 N, both exact.
The default converts 1 kgf to 9.80665 N. Loads marked in kilograms-force or tonnes-force and climbing or lifting gear rated in kilonewtons are the usual reasons to convert: 1 kN is 101.97 kgf or 224.81 lbf.
A kilogram measures mass and a newton force. Under standard gravity, the weight of 1 kg is approximately 9.81 N. Near sea level, gravity runs from about 9.78 m/s² at the equator to 9.83 m/s² at the poles, a spread of about 0.5%.
How to convert kg to newtons (kgf to N)
Multiply kilograms-force by 9.80665, the standard acceleration of gravity in m/s²: 1 kgf = 9.80665 N, so a 50 kg load weighs 490.33 N. That is what "kg to newtons" means in practice: the weight of a mass under standard gravity. Divide newtons by 9.80665 to go back.
The kilogram-force is defined with standard gravity, g₀ = 9.80665 m/s², fixed by the 3rd CGPM in 1901 (NIST SP 811, Appendix B.9). Real gravity runs from about 9.78 m/s² at the equator to 9.83 m/s² at the poles.
How to convert newtons to pounds-force
Multiply newtons by 0.224809, or divide by 4.4482216152605. A pound-force is the weight of one pound (0.45359237 kg) under standard gravity, so 1 lbf = 4.4482216152605 N exactly. A 200 lbf load is 889.64 N.
kN to kgf, lbf and tonnes
Climbing and lifting gear is rated in kilonewtons. 1 kN = 101.97 kgf = 224.81 lbf, so a carabiner marked 22 kN is rated to 2,243 kgf or 4,946 lbf.
A tonne-force is 1,000 kgf, which is 9.80665 kN. Divide kN by 9.80665 to get tonnes-force: 10 kN is about 1.02 tonnes-force.
Weight, mass and force
A kilogram measures mass and a newton measures force. Weight is mass times gravitational acceleration, F = m × g: a 70 kg person weighs 686.47 N under standard gravity, which is 70 kgf or 154.32 lbf.
One newton accelerates 1 kg at 1 m/s². Under standard gravity it is the weight of 101.97 g, so 1 N is 0.101972 kgf.
Kilogram-force and pound-force build standard gravity into the unit. That is why 1 lbf is exactly 0.45359237 kgf, the same ratio as the pound to the kilogram.
Dynes, ounce-force and poundals
- Dyne: 10⁻⁵ N, the CGS force that accelerates 1 g at 1 cm/s².
- Ounce-force: 1/16 lbf, or 0.27801385 N.
- Poundal: the force that accelerates 1 lb at 1 ft/s², 0.138254954376 N. A pound-force is 32.174 poundals, the value of standard gravity in ft/s².
Force conversion chart
Repeating decimals are rounded to six places.
| Value | From | To | Converted force |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | kgf | N | 9.80665 |
| 1 | lbf | N | 4.448222 |
| 1 | kN | kgf | 101.971621 |
| 1 | N | dyn | 100000 |
| 16 | ozf | lbf | 1 |
| 1 | pdl | N | 0.138255 |
Common mistakes
- Using a mass as a force. 70 kg is a mass; 70 kgf is a force of 686.47 N.
- Rounding g to 9.81 or 10. 9.81 is 0.03% high and 10 is 2% high; kgf and lbf are defined with 9.80665.
- Mixing up lb and lbf. A pound (lb) is mass; a pound-force (lbf) is that mass's standard weight.
- Confusing pound-force with poundal. They differ by a factor of 32.174.
Related force tools
For mass in kilograms, pounds or stones, use the weight converter. The F = ma calculator finds force from mass and acceleration, and the torque converter handles a force acting on a lever arm.
Worked examples
1 lbf in newtons
- Value
- 1 lbf
- From
- pound-force (lbf)
- To
- newton (N)
- Converted value
- 4.44822161526 N
- Exactness
- Exact
Checked against: 0.45359237 kg × 9.80665 m/s² = 4.4482216152605 N (NIST SP 811 App. B)
1 kN in lbf
- Value
- 1 kN
- From
- kilonewton (kN)
- To
- pound-force (lbf)
- Converted value
- 224.8089431 lbf
Checked against: 1000 / 4.4482216152605
1 N in dynes
- Value
- 1 N
- From
- newton (N)
- To
- dyne (dyn)
- Converted value
- 100,000 dyn
Checked against: 1 dyn = 10⁻⁵ N (NIST SP 811 App. B)
Questions
How many newtons are in a kilogram?
A mass of 1 kg weighs 9.80665 N under standard gravity, which is the definition of 1 kilogram-force. The kilogram measures mass and the newton force, so the conversion needs an acceleration; 9.80665 m/s² is the conventional value fixed in 1901, and near sea level local gravity differs from it by up to about 0.3%.
How do I convert lbf to newtons?
Multiply by 4.4482216152605, usually rounded to 4.448. One pound-force is the weight of one pound (0.45359237 kg) under standard gravity, so the factor is exact. A 200 lbf load is 889.64 N, and 1 N is 0.224809 lbf.
How many kgf is 1 kN?
Approximately 101.97 kgf. Multiply kilonewtons by approximately 101.9716, or divide by 0.00980665, to get kilograms-force. A carabiner marked 22 kN is rated to 2,243 kgf, or 4,946 lbf, and a 5 kN anchor to 510 kgf. The displayed multiplier and results are rounded; the underlying conversion is exact because the kilogram-force is defined with standard gravity, 9.80665 m/s².
What is the difference between a pound and a pound-force?
A pound (lb) is mass, 0.45359237 kg; a pound-force (lbf) is the weight of that mass under standard gravity, 4.4482216152605 N. On Earth a 10 lb object weighs about 10 lbf, which is why everyday speech uses one word for both. The poundal, 0.138255 N, is the force that accelerates 1 lb at 1 ft/s².
How many newtons does a person weigh?
A 70 kg person weighs 686.47 N under standard gravity (70 × 9.80665), which is 70 kgf or 154.3 lbf. Force-based bathroom scales measure this force and divide by g to display kilograms, so near sea level a scale set up for standard gravity reads about 0.3% low at the equator and 0.3% high at the poles.
About this calculator
Sources
Checked against references
This calculator includes 4 worked examples with independently sourced answers. They run in the test suite, and you can run them here too.