Trying to get a force measurement from a load cell and HX711

Using Arduino Sensors
#1

I am doing a drag experiment and need to find the force acting on an object. I am using a 1kg load cell with the HX711. My program is just outputting the mass of the object when I want the force that is acting on it. I know that it is outputting the mass because when testing I put a small screw on a scale and then on my load cell and the result came out the same. If the load cell was measuring force it would show the mass times g.

Is there a way to get a load cell to output a force measurement or does this have to be done with the calibration factor? I looked through the commented source code of the HX711 library to no avail.

I have looked at this tutorial (Digital Force Gauge & Weight Scale w/ Loadcell & Arduino - Arduino Project Hub) but their code just gives mass instead of force.

#2

You just need to change the output To read from weight to force , then calibrate to suit .

The mass on a scale uses gravity to create the force that deflects the load cell ( weight = mass x gravity) . So the load cell effectivily is measuring force , just the software calls it weight .

#3

Multiple by 9.8 to convert kgf to N (on this planet).

#4