Poundal to Millinewton 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 millinewton (mN) is a unit of force equal to one thousandth of a newton (0.001 N). It represents extremely small forces found in precision scientific instruments, microelectronics, and biological systems.

The millinewton became essential with the development of precision scientific instruments and microelectronics in the late 20th century. It provided appropriate scaling for measuring forces in biological systems, atomic force microscopy, and precision manufacturing processes.

Millinewtons are extensively used in atomic force microscopy, biological research, microelectronics, and precision scientific instruments. They're critical for measuring cellular forces, surface interactions, and forces in MEMS and nanotechnology applications.