Thrust is measured in pounds, my question is: pounds per what?

Question

Thanks!

Answer 1

It isn't per anything. Thrust is simply the force (in pounds or whatever).

Answer 2

Just pounds that is all. This is pounds force by the way. For example a rocket which has a mass of 10 pounds and a thrust of 100 pounds will accelerate at 100/10 gravities or 10 gravities or 320 feet/sec^2

The parameter that you don't know from the Thrust is how long the thrust will last. For example 10 pounds of thrust for 10 seconds is better than 20 pounds of thrust for 1 second. To include the time element multiply the Thrust by the Duration to get the Specific Impulse. A more useful parameter in general.

Answer 3

It's just pounds, not pounds per anything. Think of it this way in relation to horsepower:

Horsepower is a unit of power (33,000 foot pounds/min or 550 ft lb/sec). Power measures amount of work done over a defined
period. On the other hand, pounds of thrust is a measure of force. It is most comparable to the torque measurement that is often used to characterize the performance of engines. (Force may or may not do any work).