Poundal to Micronewton Converter

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.

A micronewton (µN) is a unit of force equal to one millionth of a newton (10⁻⁶ N). It represents the smallest practical force measurements, found in advanced research, nanotechnology, and single-molecule studies.

The micronewton became necessary with the development of nanotechnology and single-molecule research techniques in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. It enabled measurements of forces at the molecular level, in biological systems, and in advanced materials research.

Micronewtons are used in cutting-edge research including single-molecule force spectroscopy, nanotechnology, advanced materials research, and biological studies. They're essential for measuring intermolecular forces, protein folding forces, and forces in nanoscale systems.