This page converts poundals into kilograms-force using the factor 0.01409808185, and shows the reverse figure alongside it. Both units measure force, which is why one number does the whole job.
The force accelerating one pound at one foot per second squared; the absolute-imperial counterpart of the slug. The force gravity exerts on one kilogram — a legacy metric unit.
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. Below the calculator there is a step table for the values people look up most, and a second table putting real force figures into kilograms-force so the number you get has something to be compared against.
The formula
poundals- The amount you are converting, in poundals
0.0140980818502- The exact number of kilograms-force in one poundal
kilograms-force- The converted result
How it works, step by step
- Enter the value in poundals.
- It is multiplied by 0.0140980818502, the exact factor between the two units.
- The answer is shown in kilograms-force, with the reverse conversion beneath it.
- Check the reference table if you want a figure of comparable size.
Worked examples
A firm handshake: 2170 pdl in kilograms-force
At 2170 pdl (a firm handshake), the same quantity in kilograms-force is 2170 × 0.0140981 = 30.5928 kgf. One poundal is 0.0140981 kilograms-force, so the numbers shrink as expected.
A climbing rope’s rated load: 1.59e+05 pdl in kilograms-force
Take a climbing rope’s rated load, roughly 1.59e+05 pdl. The conversion is a single multiplication — 1.59e+05 × 0.0140981 — giving 2241.6 kgf. Because the relationship is proportional, doubling the input doubles the answer to 4483.19 kgf.
How to read your score
Frequently asked questions
How many kilograms-force are in one poundal?
Exactly 0.0140980818502. 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 poundals to kilograms-force?
kilograms-force = poundals × 0.0140980818502. Reversed, poundals = kilograms-force ÷ 0.0140980818502, which is the same as multiplying by 70.931635284.
Which is the bigger unit, the poundal or the kilogram-force?
The kilogram-force. One poundal is only 0.0140981 of a kilogram-force, so it takes 70.9316 poundals to make one kilogram-force.
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 poundal?
The force accelerating one pound at one foot per second squared; the absolute-imperial counterpart of the slug.
What is a kilogram-force?
The force gravity exerts on one kilogram — a legacy metric unit.
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 pdl to kgf in my head?
Plenty of people do this in their head: divide by 70 instead of using the exact factor 0.01409808185. At 100 that shortcut gives 1.4285714 kilograms-force, off by 0.01876 kilograms-force or about 1.33%. Fine for a rough estimate, not fine for anything you are cutting to size or dosing.
Poundals to kilograms-force reference tables
| Poundals | Kilograms-Force |
|---|---|
| 0.5 pdl | 0.00704904 kgf |
| 1 pdl | 0.0140981 kgf |
| 2 pdl | 0.0281962 kgf |
| 3 pdl | 0.0422942 kgf |
| 5 pdl | 0.0704904 kgf |
| 10 pdl | 0.140981 kgf |
| 20 pdl | 0.281962 kgf |
| 25 pdl | 0.352452 kgf |
| 50 pdl | 0.704904 kgf |
| 75 pdl | 1.05736 kgf |
| 100 pdl | 1.40981 kgf |
| 250 pdl | 3.52452 kgf |
| 500 pdl | 7.04904 kgf |
| 1000 pdl | 14.0981 kgf |
| 5000 pdl | 70.4904 kgf |
Exact factor: 1 poundal = 0.0140980818502 kilograms-force.
| Quantity | pdl | kgf |
|---|---|---|
| A sheet of paper’s weight | 0.3544 pdl | 0.004997 kgf |
| Lifting a bag of sugar | 70.96 pdl | 1 kgf |
| A firm handshake | 2170 pdl | 30.59 kgf |
| An adult’s body weight | 5642 pdl | 79.54 kgf |
| A climbing rope’s rated load | 1.591e+05 pdl | 2243 kgf |
| A car’s braking force | 5.786e+04 pdl | 815.8 kgf |
Published reference values, converted with the same factor this page uses.