Kilonewton (kN)
1,000 newtons. Used for structural loads, climbing gear ratings and engine thrust.
1 kilonewton = 1,000 newtons (exactly).
About the kilonewton
Kilonewtons exist because the newton is small. The prefix kilo- dates to the 1795 French decimal system and means one thousand, and attaching it to the newton, which the CGPM named in 1948, gives a unit sized for the loads that engineers actually handle. A kilonewton is 1,000 newtons.
One kilonewton is the weight of roughly 102 kilograms at standard gravity, or about 510 of the 200-gram apples that make a handy picture of a single newton. Structural engineers quote building and bridge loads this way, and rocket and jet engine makers quote thrust in kilonewtons and meganewtons. Each Space Shuttle solid rocket booster produced 3,300,000 pounds-force, or 14.7 meganewtons, which is 14,700 kilonewtons. Strengths of ropes, anchors and climbing hardware are also commonly given in the unit.
Sources: Wikipedia: Newton (unit); Wikipedia: Metric prefix; Wikipedia: Pound (force)
Kilonewton conversion chart
1 kilonewton expressed in every other force unit:
| Unit | 1 kilonewton |
|---|---|
| Newtons | 1,000 |
| Pounds-force | 224.8089431 |
| Kilograms-force | 101.9716213 |
| Meganewtons | 0.001 |
| Millinewtons | 1,000,000 |
| Ounces-force | 3,596.94309 |
| Grams-force | 101,971.6213 |
| Poundals | 7,233.013851 |
| Dynes | 100,000,000 |
| Kips | 0.2248089431 |
| Tons-force (short) | 0.1124044715 |
| Tons-force (long) | 0.1003611353 |
| Tonnes-force | 0.1019716213 |
| Sthènes | 1 |
More Metric (SI) units
- newton (force)
- meganewton (force)
- millinewton (force)
- meter (length)
- kilometer (length)
- centimeter (length)
- millimeter (length)
- micrometer (length)
- nanometer (length)
- picometer (length)
- decimeter (length)
- hectometer (length)
- decameter (length)
- kilogram (weight & mass)
- gram (weight & mass)
- milligram (weight & mass)
Browse all force units.