lb-ft

Units & Measurements abbreviation · Engineering Unit

lb-ft
Stands forPound-feet
CategoriesUnits & Measurements

lb-ft stands for Pound-feet, an engineering unit abbreviation.

US unit of torque: one pound of force applied at a distance of one foot. American car reviews and spec sheets give engine torque in lb-ft, such as 400 lb-ft for a performance V8.

Example: The turbo diesel produces 1,050 lb-ft of torque at 1,600 rpm.

Usage notes

Many engineers reserve lb-ft for torque and ft-lb for work or energy, though the two are numerically equal and used interchangeably, especially on torque wrenches. One lb-ft equals about 1.356 N·m. Horsepower can be calculated as lb-ft × rpm ÷ 5,252.

More engineering unit abbreviations

  • kV – Kilovolt
  • kVA – Kilovolt-ampere
  • kW – Kilowatt
  • kWh – Kilowatt-hour
  • kWp – Kilowatt-peak
  • L/100 km – Liters per 100 kilometers
  • lbf – Pound-force
  • lm – Lumen
  • lx – Lux
  • m/s – Meters per second
  • mA – Milliampere
  • mAh – Milliampere-hour

See all 103 engineering unit abbreviations →