Convert Poundal to Short Ton-Force
Convert Poundal (pdl) to Short Ton-Force (tf (US)) instantly and accurately.
Conversion Formula
tf (US) = pdl × 1.554047509e-5
About Poundal
The poundal (pdl) is the force unit of the foot-pound-second absolute system - the force to accelerate 1 pound at 1 ft/s² - approximately 0.1383 N. Introduced in 1877 by Thomson and Tait as the FPS analogue of the CGS dyne (1 dyn = 1 g·cm/s²; 1 pdl = 1 lb·ft/s²). The poundal is distinct from pound-force: since standard gravity = 32.174 ft/s², 1 lbf = 32.174 pdl. It survives in older British engineering texts and early 20th-century thermodynamics literature, but is otherwise obsolete. 1 pdl = 0.138254954376 N = 1/32.174 lbf.
About Short Ton-Force
One short ton-force is the gravitational force on a US short ton (2,000 lb) - exactly 2,000 lbf ≈ 8,896 N. It is used in heavy US industry for hydraulic press force ratings, forging press capacities, crane lift ratings, and bulldozer drawbar pull. US rigging and lifting equipment is rated in short tons. Caution: short ton-force (8,896 N) vs metric tonne-force (9,807 N) vs long ton-force (9,964 N) introduces up to 12% ambiguity when 'ton capacity' is unqualified - a critical safety distinction. 1 short tf = 2,000 lbf = 2 kip = 8,896.44 N.
Quick Reference Table
| Poundal (pdl) | Short Ton-Force (tf (US)) |
|---|---|
| 1 pdl | 1.554 × 10-5 tf (US) |
| 2 pdl | 3.108 × 10-5 tf (US) |
| 5 pdl | 7.77 × 10-5 tf (US) |
| 10 pdl | 0.000155405 tf (US) |
| 25 pdl | 0.000388512 tf (US) |
| 50 pdl | 0.000777024 tf (US) |
| 100 pdl | 0.00155405 tf (US) |