Convert Between Units of Energy
Force describes a push or pull that can accelerate a mass, deform a material, or support a load. It is fundamental to structural design, mechanics, hydraulics, and material testing. Common units include newtons (N), kilonewtons (kN), pounds-force (lbf), and sometimes kilogram-force (kgf). Converting force units is helpful when drawings, equipment specs, and calculations use different systems.
About Energy Conversions
Helpful context and notes for converting Energy units.
A common pitfall is mixing mass and force. Kilograms measure mass, while newtons measure force. Under standard gravity, 1 kg of mass weighs about 9.80665 N. Many real-world documents use “kg” as shorthand for weight, which can introduce hidden gravity factors when converting. Force also links to pressure and stress (force per area) and to torque (force times distance), so mistakes here can propagate into many other calculations.
Practical tip: if the value represents a load, express it in N or kN early in the workflow, then keep it consistent. Use a quick anchor: 1000 kg of mass corresponds to about 9.81 kN of weight. If your conversion result feels off by about a factor of 10, check whether gravity was applied or applied twice. Also confirm whether a source is using lbf (force) or lbm (mass) in imperial contexts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Fun Fact
The Trans-Siberian Railway spans 5,771 miles - long enough to make you rethink complaining about your commute.
Supported Units
Common and engineering-specific units supported for this conversion.
- BTU (British Thermal Units)
- cal (Calories)
- cJ (centijoules)
- daJ (decajoules)
- dJ (decijoules)
- eV (Electron Volts)
- erg (Ergs)
- ft-lb (Foot Pound-forces)
- GJ (gigajoules)
- hJ (hectojoules)
- HPh (Horse Power Hours)
- J (joules)
- Cal (Kilo-calories)
- kJ (kilojoules)
- MJ (megajoules)
- μJ (microjoules)
- mJ (millijoules)
- nJ (nanojoules)
- pJ (picojoules)
- TJ (terajoules)
- thm (Therms)
- Wh (Watt-hours)
Unit Categories
Explore the types of units you can convert on this site.