Metric Ton-force (tf) - Unit Information & Conversion

Quick Answer

What is Metric Ton-force? A metric ton-force (tf) is the force exerted by a one-metric-ton (1,000 kg) mass in Earth's standard gravity. 1 tf = 9,806.65 newtons = 9.80665 kilonewtons = 2,204.6 pounds-force. Used in heavy engineering for crane capacities, structural loads, industrial equipment ratings, and construction specifications. Common in metric countries for large force measurements. Use our force converter to convert metric ton-force to newtons, kilonewtons, and other units instantly.

Key Facts: Ton-force (metric)

Property	Value
Symbol	tf
Quantity	Force
System	Metric/SI Derived
Derived from	Newton
Category	Force
Standard Body	NIST / ISO

Quick Comparison Table

Metric Ton-force	Kilonewtons	Pounds-force	Context	Convert Now
0.1	0.981	220	Small vehicle	tf to kN →
0.5	4.90	1,102	Motorcycle weight	tf to kN →
1	9.81	2,205	1 metric ton weight	tf to N →
5	49.0	11,023	SUV weight	tf to kN →
10	98.1	22,046	Truck weight	tf to kN →
100	981	220,462	Large crane capacity	tf to kN →

Definition

Metric ton-force (tf) is the force exerted by one metric ton (tonne = 1,000 kg) under standard gravity (9.80665 m/s²).

Formula: 1 tf = 1,000 kg × 9.80665 m/s²

Conversions:

• 1 tf = 9,806.65 N (newtons)
• 1 tf = 9.80665 kN (kilonewtons)
• 1 tf = 2,204.62 lbf (pounds-force)
• 1 tf = 1,000 kgf (kilogram-force)
• 1 tf = 0.00980665 MN (meganewtons)
• 1 tf = 2.20462 kip

History

Metric ton-force emerged from the meter-kilogram-second gravitational system as a practical unit for measuring large forces in metric countries. The metric ton (tonne) equals 1,000 kilograms, making ton-force a natural extension of kilogram-force for heavy loads. Widely used in European, Asian, and Latin American engineering throughout the 20th century for crane ratings, structural loads, and industrial equipment specifications. While SI standardization favors kilonewtons, metric ton-force remains common in practical engineering contexts where the intuitive relationship to mass (1 tonne = 1 tf on Earth) provides convenience.

Common Uses

Construction Equipment: Crane capacity ratings, lifting equipment, heavy machinery.

Structural Engineering: Foundation loads, bridge pier capacity, building columns.

Marine Engineering: Ship displacement, anchor forces, mooring loads.

Industrial Equipment: Press capacity, forging equipment, material handling.

Automotive: Vehicle weight specifications, towing capacity, load ratings.

Real-World Examples

Vehicle Weights:

• Compact car: 1-1.5 tf
• Mid-size sedan: 1.5-2 tf
• SUV: 2-3 tf
• Pickup truck: 2-3.5 tf
• Delivery truck: 5-12 tf
• Semi-truck (loaded): 20-40 tf

Construction Equipment:

• Mobile crane (small): 10-30 tf capacity
• Tower crane: 20-100 tf capacity
• Crawler crane: 50-1,000 tf capacity
• Hydraulic excavator: 20-100 tf operating weight
• Bulldozer: 10-80 tf weight
• Forklift (large): 5-50 tf capacity

Structural Engineering:

• Residential building column: 10-50 tf load
• Office building column: 50-500 tf load
• Bridge pier: 500-5,000 tf load
• High-rise building foundation: 1,000-10,000 tf
• Crane foundation pad: 100-1,000 tf
• Offshore platform leg: 1,000-10,000 tf

Marine Applications:

• Small yacht displacement: 5-20 tf
• Fishing vessel: 50-500 tf
• Cargo ship: 5,000-100,000 tf displacement
• Container ship: 50,000-200,000 tf
• Oil tanker: 100,000-500,000 tf
• Aircraft carrier: 50,000-100,000 tf

Real-World Examples

Heavy Equipment Capacity Ratings

Metric ton-force used for large machinery:

Equipment	Capacity (tf)	In Newtons	Usage
Excavator bucket	1-5	9,800-49,000	Earth moving
Bulldozer blade	10-100	98,000-980,000	Pushing power
Dump truck payload	20-40	196,000-392,000	Cargo capacity
Gantry crane	100-500	980,000-4,900,000	Port equipment
Piston press	50-1,000	490,000-9,800,000	Forming/molding

Vehicle and Load Specifications

Heavy vehicle weight ratings:

Vehicle Type	Rated Capacity (tf)	In Kilonewtons	Application
Small truck	5-10	49-98	Light cargo
Medium truck	20-30	196-294	General delivery
Heavy truck	30-40	294-392	Bulk transport
Trailer	20-30	196-294	Coupled payload
Industrial fork-lift	2-10	20-98	Warehouse

How do I convert metric ton-force to kilonewtons?

Formula: kN = tf × 9.80665 (approximately tf × 9.81)

Examples:

• 1 tf = 9.81 kN
• 5 tf = 49.0 kN
• 10 tf = 98.1 kN
• 100 tf = 981 kN

Quick approximation: Multiply by 10 for rough estimates.

Metric Ton-force to Kilonewtons converter →

What is the difference between metric ton and metric ton-force?

Metric ton (tonne, t): Unit of MASS - measures amount of matter (1,000 kg).

Metric ton-force (tf): Unit of FORCE - measures weight or push/pull.

Relationship: On Earth at standard gravity, 1 metric ton of mass exerts 1 tf of force.

Critical distinction: On the Moon, a 1-tonne mass still has 1 tonne of mass but exerts only ~0.17 tf due to lower gravity. In space (zero gravity), it exerts 0 tf but retains 1 tonne of mass.

Engineering note: Always specify whether you mean mass (t) or force (tf) in technical documentation.

How many metric ton-force equal one US ton-force?

1 US ton-force (short ton-force) = 0.907 metric ton-force

Quick conversions:

• 1 US tonf = 0.907 tf = 8.90 kN
• 1 UK tonf (long ton) = 1.016 tf = 9.96 kN
• 1 metric tf = 1.102 US tonf
• 1 metric tf = 0.984 UK tonf

Comparison:

• US ton = 2,000 lb = 907.2 kg
• UK ton = 2,240 lb = 1,016 kg
• Metric ton = 1,000 kg

US Ton-force to Metric Ton-force converter →

When should I use metric ton-force instead of kilonewtons?

Use metric ton-force when:

• Working in countries using metric tons for mass
• Heavy equipment ratings (cranes, forklifts)
• Vehicle weight specifications in metric countries
• Marine vessel displacement
• Following local engineering conventions

Use kilonewtons when:

• SI unit compliance required
• International engineering projects
• Scientific and academic contexts
• Modern structural engineering software
• Technical publications

Note: 1 tf ≈ 10 kN provides easy mental conversion. Many engineers use both units interchangeably depending on context.

Convert metric ton-force to other force units →