Kilogram-force

History

The gram-force and kilogram-force were never well-defined units until the CGPM adopted a standard acceleration of gravity of 9.80665 m/s2 for this purpose in 1901, though they had been used in low-precision measurements of force before that time. Even then, the proposal to define kilogram-force as a standard unit of force was explicitly rejected. Instead, the newton was proposed in 1913 and accepted in 1948. The kilogram-force has never been a part of the International System of Units (SI), which was introduced in 1960. The SI unit of force is the newton.

Prior to this, the units were widely used in much of the world. They are still in use for some purposes; for example, they are used to specify tension of bicycle spokes, draw weight of bows in archery, and tensile strength of electronics bond wire, for informal references to pressure (as the technically incorrect kilogram per square centimetre, omitting -force, the kilogram*-force* per square centimetre being the technical atmosphere, the value of which is very near those of both the bar and the standard atmosphere), and to define the "metric horsepower" (PS) as 75 metre-kiloponds per second. In addition, the kilogram force was the standard unit used for Vickers hardness testing.

In 1940s, Germany, the thrust of a rocket engine was measured in kilograms-force, in the Soviet Union it remained the primary unit for thrust in the Russian space program until at least the late 1980s. Dividing the thrust in kilograms-force on the mass of an engine or a rocket in kilograms conveniently gives the thrust to weight ratio, dividing the thrust on propellant consumption rate (mass flow rate) in kilograms per second gives the specific impulse in seconds.

The term "kilopond" has been declared obsolete.

Related units

The tonne-force, metric ton-force, megagram-force, and megapond (Mp) are each 1000 kilograms-force.

The decanewton or dekanewton (daN), exactly 10 N, is used in some fields as an approximation to the kilogram-force, because it is close to the 9.80665 N of 1 kgf.

The gram-force is of a kilogram-force.

References

References

1. [https://www.nist.gov/pml/nist-guide-si-chapter-5-units-outside-si NIST Guide to the SI, Chapter 5: Units Outside the SI]
2. [http://physics.nist.gov/Pubs/SP330/sp330.pdf ''The international system of units (SI)''] {{Webarchive. link. (2016-06-03 – [[United States Department of Commerce]], [[National Institute of Standards and Technology). NIST]] Special Publication 330, 2008, p. 52
3. [[NIST]] [http://physics.nist.gov/Pubs/SP811/appenB8.html#K ''Guide for the Use of the International System of Units (SI)''] Special Publication 811, (1995) page 51
4. [http://www1.bipm.org/en/si/si_brochure/chapter2/2-2/2-2-2.html BIPM SI brochure] {{webarchive. link. (2004-06-15 , chapter 2.2.2.)
5. [https://www.bipm.org/en/committees/cg/cgpm/3-1901 Resolution of the 3rd CGPM (1901)]
6. [https://www.bipm.org/utils/common/pdf/CGPM/CGPM3.pdf#page=62 Proceedings of the 3rd General Conference on Weights and Measures], 1901, pages 62–64 and 68, (french)
7. [https://www.bipm.org/utils/common/pdf/CGPM/CGPM5.pdf#page=51 Proceedings of the 5th General Conference on Weights and Measures], 1913, pages 51 and 56, (french)
8. "Resolution 7 of the 9th meeting of the CGPM (1948)".
9. "Balancing wheel tension with the TM-1 Spoke Tension Metre". Cyclingnews.
10. Harman, George G.. (2010). "Wire Bonding in Microelectronics". McGraw-Hill.
11. Callister, William D. Jr.. (2010). "Materials Science and Engineering: An Introduction.". John Wiley & Sons, Inc..
12. European Economic Community, Council Directive of 18 October 1971 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to units of measurement