Convert Kilogram-force Second/Meter (kgf·s²/m) to Kilopound (kip) instantly.
About these units
Kilogram-force Second/Meter (kgf·s²/m)
This unusual unit represents a derived inertial mass-like quantity used in older engineering contexts based on gravitational force units rather than pure mass. One kilogram-force is the force exerted by gravity on a mass of one kilogram under standard gravity. When combined with s²/m, this creates a pseudo-mass unit used in engineering calculations involving dynamic systems. Although rarely used today, kgf·s²/m illustrates a transitional phase in engineering where gravitational and inertial concepts were intermixed before SI units standardized distinctions between mass and force.
Kilopound (kip)
A kilopound, or kip, equals 1,000 pounds and is used primarily in structural engineering, especially in the United States. Loads, tensions, and compression forces in steel beams, concrete structures, and bridges are often expressed in kips. The kip allows engineers to avoid large numbers when expressing forces such as building loads or material stresses. In structural analysis software and construction documents, kips are ubiquitous. Despite not being a mass unit strictly speaking (it is often used as a force unit, kip-force), it remains central to American engineering practice.