One pound-force is exactly 32.17404856 poundals, so converting pounds-force to poundals is a single multiplication. Enter any figure and the result appears as you type — the arithmetic runs in your browser, so nothing is sent anywhere.
The force accelerating one pound at one foot per second squared; the absolute-imperial counterpart of the slug. The force gravity exerts on one pound at standard gravity.
Mass is not force. A kilogram is a mass; a kilogram-force is the weight of that mass at standard gravity, 9.80665 N. Bathroom scales blur the distinction because they are calibrated for Earth; engineering calculations cannot. The tables underneath give both a plain step-by-step lookup and a list of real quantities expressed in poundals, so you can sanity-check whether your answer is a plausible size.
The formula
pounds-force- The amount you are converting, in pounds-force
32.1740485564- The exact number of poundals in one pound-force
poundals- The converted result
How it works, step by step
- Enter the value in pounds-force.
- It is multiplied by 32.1740485564, the exact factor between the two units.
- The answer is shown in poundals, with the reverse conversion beneath it.
- Check the reference table if you want a figure of comparable size.
Worked examples
Lifting a bag of sugar: 2.21 lbf in poundals
At 2.21 lbf (lifting a bag of sugar), the same quantity in poundals is 2.21 × 32.174 = 71.1046 pdl. One pound-force is 32.174 poundals, so the numbers grow as expected.
A climbing rope’s rated load: 4950 lbf in poundals
A climbing rope’s rated load comes to about 4950 lbf. Multiplying by the factor: 4950 × 32.174 = 159,262 pdl. Dividing the answer back by 32.174 returns the figure you started with, which is the quickest way to check you have the factor the right way up.
How to read your score
Frequently asked questions
How many poundals are in one pound-force?
Exactly 32.1740485564. Every figure on this page is that one number multiplied by your input, so the only rounding is at the display step.
What is the formula to convert pounds-force to poundals?
poundals = pounds-force × 32.1740485564. Reversed, pounds-force = poundals ÷ 32.1740485564, which is the same as multiplying by 0.0310809501716.
Which is the bigger unit, the pound-force or the poundal?
The pound-force. One pound-force equals 32.174 poundals.
What does this quantity actually measure?
Both units measure force. That is why a single factor is enough: there is no temperature offset and no material property involved, unlike conversions that cross between different quantities.
What is a pound-force?
The force gravity exerts on one pound at standard gravity.
What is a poundal?
The force accelerating one pound at one foot per second squared; the absolute-imperial counterpart of the slug.
Why does my answer differ from another converter?
Almost always because the other tool rounded the factor before multiplying. This page keeps full double precision through the calculation and rounds only for display, and it prints the factor it used so you can see where any difference came from.
Is there a quick way to do lbf to pdl in my head?
Plenty of people do this in their head: multiply by 32 instead of using the exact factor 32.17404856. At 100 that shortcut gives 3200 poundals, off by 17.4 poundals or about 0.54%. Fine for a rough estimate, not fine for anything you are cutting to size or dosing.
Pounds-Force to poundals reference tables
| Pounds-Force | Poundals |
|---|---|
| 0.5 lbf | 16.087 pdl |
| 1 lbf | 32.174 pdl |
| 2 lbf | 64.3481 pdl |
| 3 lbf | 96.5221 pdl |
| 5 lbf | 160.87 pdl |
| 10 lbf | 321.74 pdl |
| 20 lbf | 643.481 pdl |
| 25 lbf | 804.351 pdl |
| 50 lbf | 1608.7 pdl |
| 75 lbf | 2413.05 pdl |
| 100 lbf | 3217.4 pdl |
| 250 lbf | 8043.51 pdl |
| 500 lbf | 16,087 pdl |
| 1000 lbf | 32,174 pdl |
| 5000 lbf | 160,870 pdl |
Exact factor: 1 pound-force = 32.1740485564 poundals.
| Quantity | lbf | pdl |
|---|---|---|
| A sheet of paper’s weight | 0.01102 lbf | 0.3544 pdl |
| Lifting a bag of sugar | 2.205 lbf | 70.96 pdl |
| A firm handshake | 67.44 lbf | 2170 pdl |
| An adult’s body weight | 175.4 lbf | 5642 pdl |
| A climbing rope’s rated load | 4946 lbf | 1.591e+05 pdl |
| A car’s braking force | 1798 lbf | 5.786e+04 pdl |
Published reference values, converted with the same factor this page uses.