In 1 pound of force there are 32.174041 poundals. Meanwhile in 1 poundals there are 0.031081 pound of force. Keep reading to learn more about each unit of measure and how they are calculated. Or just use the Poundals to Pound of force calculator above to convert any number.
* Values rounded to 6 decimal places for readability
To convert pound-force (lbf) to poundals (pdl), use the standard link between the two force units in the foot-pound-second (FPS) system.
Formula (lbf to pdl):
Quick examples:
If you need the reverse conversion:
Pound-force (lbf) is a unit of force based on weight in standard gravity. A poundal (pdl) is a unit of force in the foot-pound-second (FPS) system. They measure the same type of thing, force, but use different definitions.
Under standard gravity, 1 lbf equals about 32.174 poundals.
Multiply the value in pound-force by 32.174.
Formula:
pdl = lbf × 32.174
This uses standard gravity (g = 32.174 ft/s²).
Using the standard definition, the conversion is based on the acceleration of standard gravity in feet per second squared. In most practical work, you will see:
1 lbf = 32.174 pdl
More digits may appear in high-precision tables, but 32.174 is the common engineering value.
A poundal is defined as the force needed to accelerate a 1 lbm mass by 1 ft/s². Pound-force is tied to standard gravity, meaning it matches the weight of a 1 lbm mass at g.
Since standard gravity is 32.174 ft/s², the weight of 1 lbm is 32.174 lbm·ft/s², which equals 32.174 poundals. That is why 1 lbf comes out to about 32.174 pdl.
Poundals show up in older physics and engineering texts that use the FPS absolute system. They can be useful when working directly with Newton’s second law in FPS units:
Force (pdl) = mass (lbm) × acceleration (ft/s²)
Today, many people use lbf instead, along with a gravity constant when needed.
No. lbm (pound-mass) measures mass. lbf (pound-force) measures force. They are related through gravity, but they are not the same unit.
Mixing lbm and lbf without the right gravity factor is a common source of errors in FPS calculations.
Yes. Divide poundals by 32.174.
Formula:
lbf = pdl ÷ 32.174
This assumes standard gravity.
For a fast estimate, you can use 32 instead of 32.174.
Use 32.174 when you need better accuracy.
The standard conversion uses standard gravity, so the factor stays 32.174 for unit conversion. Real gravity varies a bit by location, but unit conversions are based on agreed definitions, not local conditions.
If you are modeling real weight at a location, use the local value of g in your physics equations, not the unit conversion factor.
The standard symbol is pdl for poundal. You may also see it written out as poundal or poundals in text.
In terms of base FPS units, a poundal equals lbm·ft/s².
Keeping units attached to each step helps prevent these errors.
The Calculate Box tool to convert pound of force to poundals uses the open source script Convert.js to convert units of measurement. To use this tool, simply type a pound of force value in the box and have it instantly converted to poundals.