Pound-force to Poundal Conversion

Convert between Pound-force and Poundal quickly and accurately.

lbf
pdl

How to Convert Pound-force to Poundal

Conversion Formula

1 lbf = 32.174 pdl
1 pdl = 0.031 lbf

Example

Convert 15 lbf to pdl:

15 lbf = 15 × 32.174 pdl = 482.611 pdl

Unit Information

Learn about the force units you're converting between

Pound-force

lbf

Definition

Pound-force represents the gravitational force exerted on a mass of one pound under standard gravity conditions. It equals approximately 4.45 Newtons and is commonly used in engineering applications, particularly in the United States and other countries using imperial units.

History/Origin

Pound-force was widely used in engineering before the Newton became the standard SI unit. It provided an intuitive way to express forces in terms of familiar mass units. The unit was particularly popular in US engineering practices and remains in use in many applications.

Current Use

Still widely used in engineering applications, particularly in the United States. Common in mechanical engineering for torque specifications and in automotive applications. Used in material testing and in many industrial processes where the relationship to mass is important.

Multiplier

4.448

Offset

0

Poundal

pdl

Definition

The poundal is a unit of force in the foot-pound-second (FPS) system of units. It is defined as the force required to accelerate a mass of one pound at a rate of one foot per second squared. The poundal is equal to approximately 0.138 Newtons.

History/Origin

The poundal was introduced as part of the FPS (foot-pound-second) system of units in the 19th century. It was widely used in physics and engineering before the adoption of the MKS (meter-kilogram-second) system. The name comes from the combination of "pound" and "acceleration".

Current Use

Still used in some areas of physics and engineering, particularly in the United States. Common in some engineering applications where the FPS system is still used. Used in some scientific instruments and laboratory equipment that were designed using the FPS system.

Multiplier

0.138

Offset

0

Pound-force to Poundal Conversion Table

Pound-force [lbf] Poundal [pdl]
1 lbf 32.174049 pdl
10 lbf 321.740486 pdl
25 lbf 804.351214 pdl
50 lbf 1608.702428 pdl
100 lbf 3217.404855 pdl
0 lbf 0E+0 pdl
-10 lbf -321.740486 pdl
-40 lbf -1286.961942 pdl