From: utzoo!decvax!harpo!ihnss!ihuxv!lew Newsgroups: net.trivia Title: pound definition Article-I.D.: ihuxv.130 Posted: Wed May 19 16:34:33 1982 Received: Fri May 21 00:32:58 1982 You will note that a pound is a unit of mass, not of force. Its metric equivalent, 453.59237 grams, is a DEFINITION of the pound. (source: Handbook of Mathematical Functions, Abramowitz and Stegen.) The pound-force is given as 4.44822 newtons ( not a definition ) This gives "g" a value of 9.80665 m/sec/sec ( to make a pound weigh a pound.) The measured value of "g" varies from 9.780350 at the equator to 9.832072 at the poles. Its value at 45 degrees is 9.806154, which is where the pound-force value comes from, I suspect. Lew Mammel, Jr - BTL Indian Hill