Torque Converter
Convert torque between newton-metres, pound-feet, pound-inches and kilogram-force metres.
How to use this calculator
- 1Enter the value you want to convert.
- 2Pick the unit you are converting from and the one you want.
- 3The table below shows the same value in every other supported unit.
How the calculation works
result = (value × factor(from) ) / factor(to)- factor
- How many newton-metres one unit represents
Every value is converted to newton-metres first, then out to the target unit. This means n units need n factors rather than n² conversion pairs.
Torque is force multiplied by the perpendicular distance to the pivot, so every torque unit is a force unit times a length unit. That is why the conversions are simply the force factor multiplied by the length factor.
Torque and energy share the same dimensions (force × distance) and both come out in newton-metres, but they are different physical quantities. Energy in newton-metres is conventionally written as joules precisely to keep the two apart — a 10 N·m torque is not 10 joules of anything.
"Foot-pounds" is ambiguous in casual use: as torque it is lbf·ft, as energy it is ft·lbf. Same numbers, different quantity.
Worked example
100 pound-foot to newton-metre
- 1.One pound-foot is 1.3558179 newton-metres, so 100 lbf·ft is 135.58179 newton-metres.
- 2.One newton-metre is 1 newton-metres, so divide: 135.58179 ÷ 1 = 135.58179.
- 3.Put another way, 1 lbf·ft = 1.3558179 N·m.
Result: 135.58179 N·m
What this assumes, and where it stops
Assumptions
- Conversion factors follow the internationally agreed definitions of each unit.
Limitations
- Results are computed in double-precision floating point, which is exact to about 15 significant figures.
- Very large or very small values are displayed in scientific notation to avoid misleading precision.
Common questions
Are foot-pounds of torque the same as foot-pounds of energy?
Numerically identical, physically different. Both are a force times a distance, but torque is a twisting effect about an axis while energy is work done along a line. The convention is to write torque as lbf·ft (or N·m) and energy as ft·lbf (or joules) to keep them distinct — a torque wrench reading 100 lb-ft has not done 100 ft-lb of work.
Why do some specs use inch-pounds instead of foot-pounds?
Because small fasteners need small numbers. A spec of 0.8 lbf·ft is awkward; the same value as 9.6 lbf·in is easier to read and to set on a torque wrench. There are exactly 12 pound-inches in a pound-foot, so converting is straightforward — but mixing them up by a factor of 12 is a common and expensive mistake.
Formula and content last reviewed on .
Results are estimates for information only, not professional advice.
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