Nm to ft-lbs Converter

Our Nm to ft-lbs converter helps convert torque units, such as Newton-meters to foot-pounds or kilogram-centimeter to Newton-meter (kg-cm to Nm). In this article, we shall discuss the different torque units and how to convert them into each other. So read on to learn what is the best unit to describe your torque value.

Torque (or moment) represents the ability of a force to twist (rotate) the body around a specific axis. It is the product of the magnitude of the force and its perpendicular distance to the axis, and we can express it using the following cross-product:

where:

• $\mathbf{\tau}$ - The torque acting on the body;
• $\mathbf{r}$ - The position vector from the axis of rotation to the point of force application; and
• $\mathbf{F}$ - The force acting on the body.

Learn more about calculating torque using our torque calculator.

The SI unit of torque is Newton-meter (N-m). One Newton-meter torque is the rotational twist produced by one Newton force acting one meter (perpendicular distance) away from the rotational axis.

There are other units to express torque or moment in:

• Pound-foot (lbs-ft or ft-lbs): Pound-foot (lb-ft) is the British gravitational system unit for torque. One pound-foot is the equivalent torque produced by a one pound-force acting one foot away (perpendicular distance) from the axis of rotation. Often in practice, foot-pound (ft-lb) is used in place of pound-foot (lb-ft), but you must exercise caution while doing so because foot-pound is a unit of energy (see our energy converter. To convert newton meters to foot-pounds, multiply by 0.7376.

• Kilogram-centimeter (kg-cm) or kilogram force-centimeter (kgf-cm): Kilogram-centimeter or kilogram force-centimeter is an non-standard unit of torque. It is the torque produced by a one kilogram-force acting one centimeter away (perpendicular distance) from the rotational axis. Learn the relation between kilogram-force and Newton using our force converter. To convert kg-cm to Nm, multiply the value by 0.09807.

• Joules per radian (J/rad): Torque and energy have the same dimensions but represent different physical quantities. However, the torque also represents the energy spent for every radian rotation. Hence one Newton-meter is equivalent to one Joule per radian. This torque unit converter uses this relation automatically.

This Nm to ft-lbs converter is straightforward to use:

• Enter the torque value in the field with its corresponding unit. If you don't find it at first, click on the unit symbol in any field to choose another.

• This Nm to ft-lbs converter will automatically convert the value to every other unit.