In 1 dynes there are 0.0000723301 poundals. Meanwhile in 1 poundals there are 13,825.5 dynes. Keep reading to learn more about each unit of measure and how they are calculated. Or just use the Poundals to Dynes calculator above to convert any number.
* Values rounded to 6 decimal places for readability
To convert dynes to poundals, use newtons (N) as the bridge unit.
Tip: For the reverse direction, 1 pdl ≈ 13,825.5 dyn.
A dyne is a unit of force in the CGS system (centimeter-gram-second). It’s the force needed to accelerate 1 gram by 1 centimeter per second squared. Dynes often show up in older physics texts and lab work.
A poundal is a unit of force in the FPS system (foot-pound-second). It’s the force needed to accelerate 1 pound-mass by 1 foot per second squared. Poundals may appear in classic mechanics problems and some engineering notes.
Use this fixed conversion:
These values come from the exact relationships between newtons, dynes, and poundals.
Multiply dynes by 7.233013851 × 10^-6.
Formula:
pdl = dyn × 7.233013851 × 10^-6
Example:
50,000 dyn = 50,000 × 0.000007233013851 = 0.3616506926 pdl
Multiply poundals by 138,255 (about).
Formula:
dyn = pdl × 138,255
Example:
2 pdl = 2 × 138,255 = 276,510 dyn
They come from different base units. The dyne uses grams and centimeters, which are small. The poundal uses pounds and feet, which are larger. That’s why you need many dynes to equal one poundal.
You can convert through newtons if you already have those values.
So:
This matches the direct factor of 7.233013851 × 10^-6.
Both are units of force.
They are tied to mass through Newton’s second law (F = m·a), but the units themselves measure force, not mass.
Dynes are common in CGS-based work, older references, and some lab contexts. Poundals show up in older FPS-based mechanics problems. Most modern work uses newtons (SI), but conversions still matter for legacy data.
For a fast estimate:
It won’t be exact, but it’s close enough for rough checks.
Match your input precision. If your force is measured to 3 significant figures, keep about 3 in the result. Extra digits can look precise but don’t add real accuracy.
Yes. Large dyne values often convert to modest poundal values because the dyne is small. Scientific notation helps:
The Calculate Box tool to convert dynes to poundals uses the open source script Convert.js to convert units of measurement. To use this tool, simply type a dynes value in the box and have it instantly converted to poundals.