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The pound of force or pound-force (symbol: lbf, [1] sometimes lb f, [2]) is a unit of force used in some systems of measurement, including English Engineering units [a] and the foot–pound–second system. [3] Pound-force should not be confused with pound-mass (lb), often simply called "pound", which is a unit of mass; nor should these be ...
Another variant of the FPS system uses both the pound-mass and the pound-force, but neither the slug nor the poundal. The resulting system is sometimes also known as the English engineering system . Despite its name, the system is based on United States customary units of measure; it is not used in England.
When objects are in contact, the force directly between them is called the normal force, the component of the total force in the system exerted normal to the interface between the objects. [36]: 264 The normal force is closely related to Newton's third law. The normal force, for example, is responsible for the structural integrity of tables and ...
Systems of measure either define mass and derive a force unit or define a base force and derive a mass unit [1] (cf. poundal, a derived unit of force in a mass-based system). A slug is defined as a mass that is accelerated by 1 ft/s 2 when a net force of one pound (lbf) is exerted on it. [2]
The avoirdupois pound is legally defined as a measure of mass, [24] but the name pound is also applied to measures of force. For instance, in many contexts, the pound avoirdupois is used as a unit of mass, but in some contexts, the term "pound" is used to refer to "pound-force". The slug is another unit of mass derived from pound-force.
Units for other physical quantities are derived from this set as needed. In English Engineering Units, the pound-mass and the pound-force are distinct base units, and Newton's Second Law of Motion takes the form = where is the acceleration in ft/s 2 and g c = 32.174 lb·ft/(lbf·s 2).
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Since a pound of force (pound force) accelerates a pound of mass at 32.174 049 ft/s 2 (9.80665 m/s 2; the acceleration of gravity, g), we can scale down the unit of force to compensate, giving us one that accelerates 1 pound mass at 1 ft/s 2 rather than at 32.174 049 ft/s 2; and that is the poundal, which is approximately 1 ⁄ 32 pound force.