What is "poundal"

Poundal \Pound"al\, n. [From 5th Pound.] (Physics & Mech.) A unit of force based upon the pound, foot, and second, being the force which, acting on a pound avoirdupois for one second, causes it to acquire by the of that time a velocity of one foot per second. It is about equal to the weight of half an ounce, and is 13,825 dynes.

n. (context dated physics English) A unit equal to the force needed to accelerate a mass of one pound at a rate of one foot per second per second.

n. a unit of force equal to the force that imparts an acceleration of 1 foot/sec/sec to a mass of 1 pound; equal to 0.1382 newtons [syn: pdl]

The poundal (symbol: pdl) is a unit of force that is part of the foot–pound–second system of units, in Imperial units introduced in 1877, and is from the specialized subsystem of English absolute (a coherent system).

$$1\,\text{pdl} = 1\,\tfrac{\text{lb}_m \cdot \text{ft}}{\text{s}^2}$$
The poundal is defined as the force necessary to accelerate 1 pound-mass to 1 foot per second per second. 1 pdl = exactly.