User:Milton Beychok/Sandbox2

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The pound-force (symbol: lbf[Note 1] ) is a measurement unit of force which will accelerate 1 pound of mass to 9.80665 m/s2 (≈ 32.17405 ft/s2), the standard average acceleration due to gravity on Earth's surface (referred to as gn[1]). It is used primarily in the United States and is equivalent to exactly 4.4482216152605 newtons.

In common usage and other contexts, it is most often referred to in the United States as a pound or as lb, but this can lead to confusion with the pound-mass.

Definition in terms of the SI unit of force

The newton (symbol: N) is the unit of force named in the International System of Units (SI). Using the standard average acceleration due to gravity, denoted gn, as being 9.80665 m/s2[1] and the internationally agreed upon definition of the pound-mass, denotes as lbm, as being 0.45359237 kg[2], we have:

Notes

  1. The symbol lbf is derived from the Latin libra for "pound" and the symbol f for "force")

References