Why is force measured in pounds instead of Newton?

In summary, the National Geographic specials use the pound as a unit of mass, but the Newton is used for the bite force of a dog.
  • #1
otomanb
59
0
unit of force is Newton but...

For is measured in Newton but in National Geographic Special documentaries, we have usually heard them using unit "pound" like to determine force like
1) 500 pound bite force of dog
2) 1800 pounds bite force of hippo
Why they measure force in pounds not in Newton?
Thanks
 
Engineering news on Phys.org
  • #2


Maybe they feel their target audience is more comfortable using imperial units? or American units, whatever it's called.
 
  • #3


This doesn't even seem correct, lb is a unit of mass, not force. I guess it's just them being sloppy?
 
  • #4


MikeyW said:
This doesn't even seem correct, lb is a unit of mass, not force. I guess it's just them being sloppy?

Pound is a unit of force actually. The unit of mass is the 'Slug'.
 
  • #5


@ MikeyW
ya lbs and kg are the units of mass, in SI(system International) but might be they are using some kind or older system of measurements
 
  • #6


MikeyW said:
This doesn't even seem correct, lb is a unit of mass, not force. I guess it's just them being sloppy?
When used without any qualifier or context, the term pound denotes a unit of mass, specifically the avoirdupois pound. The abbreviation for this unit is lb. The pound-force is a unit of force. The abbreviation for this unit is lbf. Some use lbm as an abbreviation for the pound (mass) for consistency with the use of lbf for the pound-force.

Saying "500 pound bite force of dog" is perhaps a bit sloppy, but the "500 pound-force bite force of dog" sounds stilted. It is obvious from context that the pound being talked about in this sentence is the pound force.

There are multiple units of mass called the pound. A pound of gold weighs less than a pound of feathers, for example. Precious metals are weighed with Troy weight while feathers (along with most other things) are weighed with the Avoirdupois system. A troy pound is 12 troy ounces; the avoirdupois pound is 16 avoirdupois ounces.

Confused? This diagram might help. Then again, it might not.

400px-English_mass_units_graph.svg.png


Pengwuino said:
Maybe they feel their target audience is more comfortable using imperial units? or American units, whatever it's called.
United States customary systems of measurement. Imperial units are different. A US gallon is not the same as an imperial gallon, for example.

Pengwuino said:
Pound is a unit of force actually. The unit of mass is the 'Slug'.
See above. The slug is not an official unit.
 
  • #7


@above
thanks you my all brothers thanks for the answers. God bless you and keep helping.
::eek:toman
 

1. What is the unit of force?

The unit of force is Newton (N).

2. Who was the unit of force named after?

The unit of force was named after Sir Isaac Newton, a famous scientist who made significant contributions to the field of physics.

3. How is one Newton defined?

One Newton is defined as the amount of force required to accelerate a mass of one kilogram at a rate of one meter per second squared.

4. Is Newton the only unit of force?

No, there are other units of force such as pound-force and dyne. However, Newton is the standard unit in the International System of Units (SI).

5. Can Newton be converted to other units of force?

Yes, Newton can be converted to other units of force by using conversion factors. For example, 1 N is equal to 0.2248 pound-force and 100,000 dyne.

Similar threads

Replies
46
Views
1K
  • Mechanics
Replies
4
Views
2K
Replies
1
Views
905
Replies
6
Views
2K
Replies
44
Views
1K
Replies
8
Views
333
Replies
13
Views
1K
Replies
9
Views
1K
  • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
4
Views
942
  • Mechanical Engineering
Replies
14
Views
2K
Back
Top