Convert Force from Kilogram-forces to Kilonewtons (kgf to kN)

Kilogram-force to Kilonewton Conversion Formula

Example

Let's convert 5 Kilogram-force (kgf) to Kilonewton (kN).

Using the formula:

Therefore, 5 Kilogram-force (kgf) is equal to 0.049035 Kilonewton (kN).

How many kilogram-forces are in one kilonewton? One Kilonewton (kN) contains 101.96798205363515856 Kilogram-forces (kgf) — the inverse of the factor above. Multiplying by 0.009807 takes you from kilogram-forces to kilonewtons; multiplying by 101.96798205363515856 brings you back.

Put in words: one kilogram-force equals 0.009807 kilonewtons, so the kilogram-force is the smaller unit of this pair. Converting between them never changes the amount of force being measured — only the size of the unit you count it in.

What Is a Kilogram-force (kgf)?

A kilogram-force (kgf), also called a kilopond (kp), is the force exerted by gravity on a mass of one kilogram at standard gravity.

• 1 kgf = 9.807 N

A Metric Unit That Behaves Like an Imperial One

The kilogram-force is a gravitational metric unit: it takes the convenience of the imperial system — where the number on the scale and the number in the force calculation match — and applies it to metric mass. If a load is 250 kg, its weight is simply 250 kgf.

That convenience is also why the unit was deprecated. It bakes the Earth's gravity into the definition, so any calculation using it silently assumes you are standing on this planet at sea level. The SI system replaced it with the newton, and modern standards discourage kgf in new work.

Where You Still Meet It

Deprecated does not mean gone. Kilogram-force still appears in:

• Older machinery and technical drawings, particularly European and Japanese equipment made before the 1990s.
• Tyre and pressure gauges in some markets, where kgf/cm² is used instead of bar.
• Torque wrenches graduated in kgf·m or kgf·cm.
• Medical and fitness equipment — grip strength dynamometers commonly read in kgf.

If you are reading an old service manual, expect kgf. If you are writing a new specification, use newtons.

Converting Kilogram-force

What Is a Kilonewton (kN)?

A kilonewton (kN) is one thousand newtons. It is the unit engineers reach for whenever forces grow past the point where writing newtons becomes unwieldy.

• 1 kN = 1,000 N

Why Engineers Prefer Kilonewtons

Structural loads are large numbers in newtons. A modest floor beam might carry 45,000 N — awkward to read, easy to mistype. The same load is 45 kN, which fits on a drawing and is far harder to misread by a factor of ten.

Because kilo always means exactly one thousand, the conversion is exact in both directions and introduces no rounding error.

What a Kilonewton Represents

1 kN is roughly the weight of a 102 kg mass at the Earth's surface — about the weight of a large person, or a full beer keg.

Some working figures:

• A car jack rated for 2 tonnes must handle about 20 kN.
• A typical M12 structural bolt is preloaded to roughly 50 kN.
• Lift (elevator) cables are commonly rated in the 100 kN range.

Where Kilonewtons Are Used

• Civil and structural engineering — beam reactions, foundation loads, wind and snow loads.
• Climbing and rigging hardware — carabiners and slings are stamped with kN ratings, typically 20–30 kN along the major axis.
• Materials testing — the capacity of a universal testing machine is usually quoted in kN.
• Automotive and aerospace — crash loads, clamping forces, actuator ratings.

Converting Kilonewtons

Kilogram-force to Kilonewton Conversion Table

Here are some quick reference conversions from Kilogram-force (kgf) to Kilonewton (kN):