1 pound (lb) is equal to approximately 0.03108 slugs.
When converting pounds to slugs, you are changing a unit of force-based mass to a unit of inertial mass commonly used in the imperial system, especially in physics and engineering contexts involving gravitational forces.
Conversion Tool
Result in slug:
Conversion Formula
The formula to convert pounds (lb) to slugs is:
slug = lb ÷ 32.174
This conversion works because the slug is defined as the mass that is accelerated by 1 foot per second squared when a force of one pound-force is exerted on it. The number 32.174 is the acceleration due to Earth’s gravity in feet per second squared (ft/s²).
Example calculation for 1 lb:
- Start with 1 lb
- Divide by acceleration due to gravity: 1 ÷ 32.174 = 0.03108 slug
This means 1 pound mass corresponds to about 0.03108 slugs of inertial mass.
Conversion Example
- Convert 10 lb to slug:
- Take 10 lb
- Divide by 32.174: 10 ÷ 32.174 ≈ 0.3108 slug
- Result: 10 lb equals approximately 0.3108 slugs
- Convert 5.5 lb to slug:
- Start with 5.5 lb
- Calculate 5.5 ÷ 32.174 ≈ 0.1709 slug
- So, 5.5 lb is roughly 0.1709 slugs
- Convert 20 lb to slug:
- Use 20 lb
- Divide 20 by 32.174: 20 ÷ 32.174 ≈ 0.6217 slug
- Therefore, 20 lb is about 0.6217 slugs
- Convert 0.5 lb to slug:
- Take 0.5 lb
- Divide 0.5 by 32.174: 0.5 ÷ 32.174 ≈ 0.01554 slug
- So, 0.5 lb equals approximately 0.01554 slugs
Conversion Chart
| lb | slug |
|---|---|
| -24.0 | -0.7460 |
| -20.0 | -0.6217 |
| -16.0 | -0.4974 |
| -12.0 | -0.3731 |
| -8.0 | -0.2487 |
| -4.0 | -0.1244 |
| 0.0 | 0.0000 |
| 2.0 | 0.0622 |
| 6.0 | 0.1865 |
| 10.0 | 0.3108 |
| 14.0 | 0.4351 |
| 18.0 | 0.5594 |
| 22.0 | 0.6837 |
| 26.0 | 0.8080 |
You can find the equivalent slug for any pound value listed by reading the corresponding row, which shows pounds on left column and the slug conversion on right. Negative lb values convert to negative slugs, useful for directional or theoretical calculations.
Related Conversion Questions
- How many slugs are in 1 pound mass?
- What is the formula to convert 1 lb to slug?
- Why is 1 lb equal to a fraction of a slug?
- Is 1 lb heavier or lighter than 1 slug?
- How do I convert 1 pound to slugs using a calculator?
- What does 1 lb equal in slugs for physics problems?
- Can 1 lb be converted directly to slug without gravity?
Conversion Definitions
lb: The pound (lb) is a unit of mass commonly used in the United States customary system and British imperial system. It equals 0.45359237 kilograms. Pounds measure weight or mass, and in physics often represent force under standard gravity conditions.
slug: The slug is a unit of mass used in the imperial system, defined as the mass that accelerates by 1 foot per second squared when a force of 1 pound-force is applied. It equals approximately 14.5939 kilograms and is used in dynamics and engineering calculations.
Conversion FAQs
Why does the conversion involve dividing by 32.174?
The number 32.174 represents the acceleration due to gravity in feet per second squared on Earth. Since pounds measure force and slugs measure mass, dividing by 32.174 converts the force-based pound into the inertial mass unit slug, reflecting Newton’s second law.
Can I convert lb to slug without considering gravity?
No, because the pound as commonly used in the US system is a unit of force (pound-force). To convert force to mass, you must account for acceleration due to gravity. The slug unit inherently includes gravity in its definition to represent mass.
Are slugs used outside the US customary system?
Slugs are primarily used in the US customary system and rarely in other measurement systems. Other systems prefer kilograms or other metric units for mass, making slugs less common globally, but still relevant in some engineering and physics contexts.
Is 1 lb heavier or lighter than 1 slug?
1 pound is much lighter than 1 slug. One slug equals about 32.174 pounds. So 1 lb is roughly 0.03108 slugs, indicating slugs represent a much larger mass unit compared to pounds.
How precise is the lb to slug conversion?
The conversion uses an exact defined value for acceleration due to gravity, but small variations in local gravity can affect the exactness. For most practical purposes, the division by 32.174 gives sufficiently precise conversion between lb and slug.