Convert Pound-force Square Second/Foot (lbf·s²/ft) to Kilogram-force Second/Meter (kgf·s²/m) instantly.
About these units
Pound-force Square Second/Foot (lbf·s²/ft)
This unit is part of the British Gravitational System, where mass is defined from force rather than the other way around. It can be interpreted as an inertial mass unit, since applying 1 pound-force to it would produce an acceleration of 1 foot per second squared. Historically, before the SI system clarified the distinction between force and mass, engineering fields often used mixed systems where pounds could represent either force (lbf) or mass (lbm). The unit lbf·s²/ft was introduced to straighten out these ambiguities in dynamic calculations such as impact forces, mechanical oscillations, and safety load computations. Today, the unit survives mostly in engineering textbooks, legacy calculations, and historical documentation. It demonstrates how complex and inconsistent measurement systems once were, and why global scientific communities moved toward SI clarity.
Kilogram-force Second/Meter (kgf·s²/m)
This unusual unit represents a derived inertial mass-like quantity used in older engineering contexts based on gravitational force units rather than pure mass. One kilogram-force is the force exerted by gravity on a mass of one kilogram under standard gravity. When combined with s²/m, this creates a pseudo-mass unit used in engineering calculations involving dynamic systems. Although rarely used today, kgf·s²/m illustrates a transitional phase in engineering where gravitational and inertial concepts were intermixed before SI units standardized distinctions between mass and force.