Poundal
The poundal (symbol: pdl) is a unit of force that is part of the foot–pound–second system of units, in Imperial units introduced in 1877, and is from the specialized subsystem of English absolute (a coherent system).
The poundal is defined as the force necessary to accelerate 1 pound-mass at 1 foot per second per second. 1 pdl = 0.138254954376 N exactly.
English units require re-scaling of either force or mass to eliminate a numerical proportionality constant in the equation F = ma. The poundal represents one choice, which is to rescale units of force. Since a pound of force (pound force) accelerates a pound of mass (pound mass) at 32.174 049 ft/s2 (9.80665 m/s2; the acceleration of gravity, g), we can scale down the unit of force to compensate, giving us one that accelerates 1 pound mass at 1 ft/s2 rather than at 32.174 049 ft/s2; and that is the poundal, which is approximately 1⁄32 of a pound force.
For example, a force of 1200 poundals is required to accelerate a person of 150 pounds mass at 8 feet per second squared:
The poundal-as-force, pound-as-mass system is contrasted with an alternative system in which pounds are used as force (pounds-force), and instead, the mass unit is rescaled by a factor of roughly 32. That is, one pound-force will accelerate one pound-mass at 32 feet per second squared; we can scale up the unit of mass to compensate, which will be accelerated by 1 ft/s2 (rather than 32 ft/s2) given the application of one pound force; this gives us a unit of mass called the slug, which is about 32 pounds mass. Using this system (slugs and pounds-force), the above expression could be expressed as:
Note: Slugs (32.174 049 lb) and poundals (1/32.174 049 lbf) are never used in the same system, since they are opposite solutions of the same problem.
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