User:Milton Beychok/Sandbox2: Difference between revisions

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A '''kilogram-force''' ('''kgf''') is that [[force]] which accelerates 1 kilogram of mass to 9.80665 [[metre|m]]/[[second|s]]<sup>2</sup> [[standard gravity]] (&thinsp;'''''g<sub>n</sub>'''''&thinsp;), a standardized value representing the average magnitude of [[Acceleration due to gravity|gravitational acceleration]] on [[Earth|Earth's]] surface.<ref name=NIST-gravity/> Therefore, one kilogram-force is by definition equal to 9.80665 [[newton (unit)|newtons]].<ref name=NIST-newton/>  
A '''kilogram-force''' ('''kgf''') is a unit of [[force]] which will [[acceleration|accelerate]] 1 [[kilogram]] of [[mass]] to 9.80665 [[metre|m]]/[[second|s]]<sup>2</sup>, the standard average [[acceleration due to gravity]] on [[Earth]]'s surface (referred to as '''''g<sub>n</sub>''''').<ref name=NIST-gravity/> Since a [[Newton (unit)|newton]] is defined as the force which will accelerate 1 kilogram  of mass to 1 m/s<sup>2</sup>, one kilogram-force is by definition equal to 9.80665 [[newton (unit)|newtons]].<ref name=NIST-newton/>  


The kilogram-force was not very well defined until the 3rd [[General Conference on Weights and Measures]] (Conférence Générale des Poids et Mesures, CGPM) defined '''''g<sub>n</sub>''''', the standard gravity, to be 9.80665 m/s<sup>2</sup> in 1901.<ref name=GCPM3/> Although it was once widely used, it has never been part of the [[International System of Units]] (SI) introduced in 1960 by the 11th GCPM.<ref name=GCPM11/>
The kilogram-force was not very well defined until the 3rd [[General Conference on Weights and Measures]] (Conférence Générale des Poids et Mesures, CGPM) defined '''''g<sub>n</sub>''''', the standard gravity, to be 9.80665 m/s<sup>2</sup> in 1901.<ref name=GCPM3/> Although it was once widely used, it has never been part of the [[International System of Units]] (SI) introduced in 1960 by the 11th GCPM.<ref name=GCPM11/>

Revision as of 00:15, 3 July 2011

A kilogram-force (kgf) is a unit of force which will accelerate 1 kilogram of mass to 9.80665 m/s2, the standard average acceleration due to gravity on Earth's surface (referred to as gn).[1] Since a newton is defined as the force which will accelerate 1 kilogram of mass to 1 m/s2, one kilogram-force is by definition equal to 9.80665 newtons.[2]

The kilogram-force was not very well defined until the 3rd General Conference on Weights and Measures (Conférence Générale des Poids et Mesures, CGPM) defined gn, the standard gravity, to be 9.80665 m/s2 in 1901.[3] Although it was once widely used, it has never been part of the International System of Units (SI) introduced in 1960 by the 11th GCPM.[4]

The kilogram-force is still used to some extent in a few countries, but it is generally considered to be obsolete in most countries.

Equivalent units of force

1 kgf ≡ 9.80665 newton (symbol: N)
1 kgf ≡ 980,665 dyne (symbol: dyn)
1 kgf ≡ 1 kilopond (symbol: kp)
1 kgf ≡ 9.80665×10-3 sthène (symbol: sn)
1 kgf ≈ 2.20462 pound-force (symbol: lbf)
1 kgf ≈ 2.20462×10-3 kip (symbol: kip)
1 kgf ≈ 70.93164 poundal (symbol: pdl)

References