Convert Poundal (pdl) to Proton Mass (mₕ (p)) instantly.
About these units
Poundal (pdl)
The poundal is the unit of force in the foot–pound–second (FPS) system, defined as the force that accelerates a one-pound mass at one foot per second squared. Although a force unit, it interacts with mass units in engineering contexts similarly to inertial mass units. Historically, poundals appeared in older physics textbooks and engineering references before the widespread adoption of SI units. Their use has declined dramatically, but they remain part of the history of classical mechanics education. The poundal exemplifies how many different systems attempted to rationalize force, mass, and acceleration before the international community converged on the SI newton.
Proton Mass (mₕ (p))
The proton mass, approximately 1.67262192369 × 10⁻²⁷ kilograms, is central to chemistry, nuclear physics, and cosmology. Protons, along with neutrons, form the nuclei of atoms and therefore compose most of the mass of ordinary matter. The proton mass arises from the strong nuclear force and the dynamics of quarks and gluons within quantum chromodynamics (QCD). Interestingly, most of the proton's mass is not from its constituent quarks but from the energy stored in the strong force. Understanding the proton mass helps scientists explore nuclear stability, binding energies, and stellar nucleosynthesis—the processes that form elements inside stars.