The poncelet (symbol p) is an obsolete unit of power, once used in France and replaced by (ch,

metric horsepower Horsepower (hp) is a unit of measurement of power, or the rate at which work is done, usually in reference to the output of engines or motors. There are many different standards and types of horsepower. Two common definitions used today are the ...

). The unit was named after

Jean-Victor Poncelet Jean-Victor Poncelet (; 1 July 1788 – 22 December 1867) was a French engineer and mathematician who served most notably as the Commanding General of the École Polytechnique. He is considered a reviver of projective geometry, and his work '' ...

.François Cardarelli, ''Encyclopaedia of Scientific Units, Weights and Measures: Their Si Equivalences and Origins'', Springer, 2003, , page 527 One poncelet is defined as the power required to raise a hundred-kilogram mass (

quintal The quintal or centner is a historical unit of mass in many countries which is usually defined as 100 base units, such as pounds or kilograms. It is a traditional unit of weight in France, Portugal, and Spain and their former colonies. It is com ...

) at a velocity of one metre per second (100

kilogram-force The kilogram-force (kgf or kgF), or kilopond (kp, from la, pondus, lit=weight), is a non-standard gravitational metric unit of force. It does not comply with the International System of Units (SI) and is deprecated for most uses. The kilogram- ...

·m/s). : 1 p = 980.665 W = {{sfrac, 4, 3 ch ≈ 1.315 hp (imperial horsepower)

References

Units of power Obsolete units of measurement Metrication in France