[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index] [New Search]
On 16 Dec 2002 at 15:28, Dave Hall wrote: > > A slug is the English standard unit of mass. > I had a high opinion of engineers until now! Just because they can't come up > with a better unit for the lb force, they bastardise the lb mass. ;-) > I used to use something called a poundal, didn't I? That was 1lb force I think, > but it must have been while at school around 1960. They had to make the distinction between force and mass, but the pound was used for both. So there evolved 2 parallel systems: One used the normal pound (pound force) as a force and the slug as the mass, while the other used the normal pound as a mass (pound mass) and invented the poundal as the unit of force. I find both equally valid and equally confusing, but I personally think of the pound as a force. ;-) (Otherwise, what is the meaning of torque, or work/energy, in ft-lbs?) In the end I think it's much easier to start with a clean slate and use Newtons and kilograms. -- ******************************* Jim Adney, jadney@vwtype3.org Madison, Wisconsin, USA ******************************* ------------------------------------------------ To unsubscribe, E-mail to: <type3-off@vwtype3.org> For more help, see http://vwtype3.org/list/