Kilonewton to Poundal Converter

A kilonewton (kN) is a unit of force equal to one thousand newtons. It represents moderate to large forces commonly encountered in structural engineering, mechanical systems, and industrial applications.

The kilonewton became important with the growth of modern engineering and construction in the 20th century. It provided a convenient scale for structural calculations, mechanical design, and industrial applications where forces regularly exceeded hundreds of newtons.

Kilonewtons are extensively used in structural engineering, mechanical design, construction, and materials testing. They're standard for building load calculations, crane capacities, material strength specifications, and mechanical system force ratings.

A poundal (pdl) is a unit of force in the foot-pound-second (FPS) system, defined as the force required to accelerate a mass of one pound at a rate of one foot per second squared. It equals approximately 0.138 newtons.

The poundal was introduced in 1879 as part of the foot-pound-second system to provide a force unit based on fundamental physical principles rather than gravitational force. It was designed to be the imperial equivalent of the newton but never achieved widespread adoption.

Poundals are rarely used in modern applications, appearing mainly in historical engineering literature and some specialized physics contexts. They've been largely replaced by pound-force in practical applications and newtons in scientific work.