Newton meter

The newton meter [math] \left( N m \right)[/math] is a measurement of torque. One newton meter is equal to approximately 0.738 pound-feet.

It's easy to confuse the newton meter with newton times a meter, which is a joule and a unit of energy. The difference is between a force that creates a twist, (rotates an object about some point) and a push through some distance. For example, exerting a 1 N force on a door 1 m from the hinges would be a torque of 1 [math]N m [/math]. If an object (like a door) is pushed through a distance of 1 m with 1 N then 1 J worth of work is done. This is why the newton meter is written out specifically as [math]N m [/math].

For more information please see Newton meter.