Force converter
Convert between newtons, kilonewtons, pounds-force, kilograms-force and dynes, then see how that push compares with an apple, an elephant and a rocket engine.
That's 6.7× as much force as holding a laptop, while lifting a cement bag is 2.5× stronger. That is the push needed to hold up 10.2 kg on Earth.
What it means
How strong is that?
Reference forces are the weight of each object on Earth, where one kilogram pushes down with 9.81 newtons.
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Three things worth knowing
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Kilos to newtons: multiply by 10
On Earth every kilogram pushes down with 9.81 newtons, so multiplying by 10 is close enough for most jobs: a 70 kg person presses the ground with about 700 N.
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The newton came from an apple
The unit honours Isaac Newton, and by chance one newton is roughly the weight of a medium apple. The coincidence is a handy way to picture the unit.
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Kilograms are not a force
A kilogram measures mass and does not change on the Moon; the force it produces does. Scales labelled in kg are really reading force and dividing by Earth gravity.
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Background
About force units
Force is what changes motion. The SI unit is the newton: the force that accelerates one kilogram by one meter per second every second. Holding a small apple against gravity takes about one newton.
Engineers in the US use pounds-force, and older European equipment uses kilograms-force, the pull of gravity on one kilogram.