Table of contents
What do Nm and ft-lbs measure?How to convert newton-meters to foot-pounds?How to convert ft-lbs to Nm?Torque conversion calculator: example of useOther units of torque - kgf-cm to Nm, J/rad to Nm and kgm to NmFAQsThis Nm to ft-lbs converter is a simple tool that converts between five different units of torque. We will teach how to convert newton-meters to foot pounds and provide you with handy conversion tables, where you can look up any value you need. If you need a refresher on the notion of torque, you may want to visit our torque calculator.
Read on to learn why we need to use these units in the first place, how to convert between them, and why the kg-cm unit of torque doesn't make much sense!
🙋 If you ever need to jump between different force units, go straight to Omni's force converter.
What do Nm and ft-lbs measure?
Newton-meters (Nm for short) and foot-pounds (ft-lbs) are units of torque, also called the moment of force or the rotational force. Torque measures the tendency of an object to rotate if you apply some force to it.
Imagine an object, such as a lever, that has one fixed point. We will call that stationary point the pivot point. If you start pushing or pulling the lever in a straight line, the object will begin to rotate around that pivot point. The further from the pivot point you apply the force, the bigger the rotation.
The product of the force you apply and the distance from the pivot point is called torque. If you're a fan of the SI unit system, you will probably measure it in newton-meters. If, however, you use the FPS (foot-pound-second) system, you might be more familiar with the unit of foot-pounds.
💡 Remember that foot pounds and pounds-force are not the same unit, although their symbols are quite similar. You can express torque in foot pounds (ft-lbs), but not in pounds-force (lbf) - that is a measure of force.
How to convert newton-meters to foot-pounds?
The conversion from Nm to ft-lbs is very simple. You can, of course, use our torque conversion calculator, but it's straightforward to calculate it by hand, too! All you need to remember is that 1 Nm is equal to 0.7376 ft-lbs.
The conversion table below might come in handy, should you need to convert the most fundamental values of torque. If your value doesn't appear in the table, you might want to give our Nm to ft-lbs conversion calculator a try!
Newton-meters | Foot-pounds |
|---|---|
1 Nm | 0.738 ft-lbs |
2 Nm | 1.475 ft-lbs |
5 Nm | 3.688 ft-lbs |
10 Nm | 7.376 ft-lbs |
20 Nm | 14.751 ft-lbs |
25 Nm | 18.439 ft-lbs |
30 Nm | 22.127 ft-lbs |
35 Nm | 25.815 ft-lbs |
40 Nm | 29.502 ft-lbs |
50 Nm | 36.878 ft-lbs |
100 Nm | 73.756 ft-lbs |
How to convert ft-lbs to Nm?
If you're trying the opposite torque units conversion, don't worry: it's equally simple! This time, all you need to know is that 1 ft-lb is equivalent to 1.3558 Nm. This means that to convert from foot-pounds to newton-meters, you need to multiply the value you have by the factor of 1.3558.
For your convenience, we have prepared a table with the simplest conversions listed out. If your value doesn't appear in this table, go ahead and input it into the second field of our Nm to ft-lbs converter!
Foot-pounds | Newton-meters |
|---|---|
1 ft-lbs | 1.356 Nm |
2 ft-lbs | 2.712 Nm |
5 ft-lbs | 6.779 Nm |
10 ft-lbs | 13.558 Nm |
20 ft-lbs | 27.116 Nm |
25 ft-lbs | 33.895 Nm |
30 ft-lbs | 40.675 Nm |
35 ft-lbs | 47.454 Nm |
40 ft-lbs | 54.233 Nm |
50 ft-lbs | 67.791 Nm |
100 ft-lbs | 135.582 Nm |
Torque conversion calculator: example of use
Let's imagine you're working with gears. You're setting up a gear train consisting of three different wheels and you want the output torque to be equal to 12 ft-lbs. Unfortunately, the dynamometer you have displays the measured value in newton-meters only. What should the reading of the dynamometer be?
Check which unit you're working with. You know the value is 12 ft-lbs.
You also know that one ft-lb is equivalent to 1.3558 Nm.
All you have to do is multiply these two values:
12 × 1.3558 = 16.27 NmThe dynamometer needs to display a value of 16.27 Nm.
You can also use our Nm to ft-lbs converter to save some time!
Other units of torque - kgf-cm to Nm, J/rad to Nm and kgm to Nm
Even though the most popular units displayed on a torque wrench are Nm and ft-lbs, there are also other units you might find quite handy. Our calculator will automatically convert any value you input into two additional units: kgf-cm and J/rad.
kg-cm are units of torque that, interestingly, we usually write down with improper notation. You probably noticed that when you try to convert kg-cm to any other SI units, you will get a different unit than that for newtons multiplied by meters! To make this notation correct, you should add a letter f, writing down kgf-cm. In this situation, kgf means kilograms of force, which are simply kilograms multiplied by the gravitational acceleration, g.
If you want to convert kgf-cm to Nm, all you need to do is multiply the first value by 0.09807 - one-hundredth of the gravitational acceleration of Earth:
1 kgf-cm = 0.09807 Nm = 0.07233 ft-lbsJ/rad are also alternative units of torque, commonly used when you need the value of torque in calculations of work or power. These units are equivalent to Nm:
1 J/rad = 1 Nm = 0.738 ft-lbsKilopondometer is another unit of torque and energy, abbreviated as kpâ‹…m or kgm. This means the force applied to one kilogram as a result of gravitational acceleration:
1 kgm = 9.80665 Nm
How do I convert inch-lbs to foot-lbs?
Divide a value in inch-pounds by 12 to get the value in foot-pounds. The ratio between in-lbs and ft-lbs is analogous to that between inches and feet.
What is 10 Nm in inch-pounds?
10 Nm equals 88.51 in-lbs. To get any torque value in inch-pounds, you need to multiply the number in newton-meters by 8.851.
How do I convert Nm to ft-lbs torque?
Multiply the value in newton-meters by 0.7376 to get the torque in foot-pounds. Alternatively, you can divide by 1.356 to obtain the same result.
How do I convert kg-m to Nm?
One kilogram (of force) meter equals 9.807 newton-meters. This is because one kgf (kilogram of force) is the gravitational force acting on a 1 kg object. This conversion factor equals the absolute value of gravitational acceleration. The kg-m unit is actually an abbreviation of the correct kgf-m one.
