Power Converter
Enter a value and select units to convert
Enter a value and select units to convert
The power converter allows you to convert between different units of power, which measure the rate at which work is done or energy is transferred. This tool is useful for physics, engineering, electricity, mechanics, and many fields where power measurements are needed. Power represents how quickly energy is used or produced.
Common Power Measurement Systems
SI and Metric System
The International System of Units (SI) uses the watt (W) as the standard unit of power.
- Watt (W): One joule per second (J/s)
- SI prefixes can be used to create multiples and submultiples: mW, kW, MW, GW, etc.
- Newton meter per second (N·m/s): Equivalent to watt in SI units
Mechanical Power Units
Units commonly used for mechanical power output.
- Horsepower (hp): Originally defined as the power a horse can sustain
- Metric horsepower (PS or cv): Slightly different from mechanical horsepower
- Boiler horsepower (bhp): Used for rating steam boilers
- Electric horsepower (hp(E)): Used in the electrical industry
Energy Rate Units
Units expressing power as energy per unit time.
- Joule per second (J/s): Equivalent to watt
- British thermal unit per hour (BTU/h): Common in heating and cooling
- Kilocalorie per second (kcal/s): Rate of heat energy transfer
- Foot-pound force per second (ft·lbf/s): Rate of mechanical work
Electrical Power Units
Units specifically used in electrical applications.
- Volt-ampere (VA): Used for apparent power in electrical systems
- Kilovolt-ampere (kVA): Used for rating electrical equipment
Other Units
Various specialized units of power.
- Ton of refrigeration (TR): Used in refrigeration and air conditioning
- Erg per second (erg/s): A CGS unit of power
Common Power Conversions
| From | To | Multiply By |
|---|---|---|
| Watt | Horsepower | 0.00134102 |
| Watt | BTU/h | 3.41214 |
| Kilowatt | Horsepower | 1.34102 |
| Horsepower | Watt | 745.7 |
| Horsepower | BTU/h | 2544.43 |
| BTU/h | Watt | 0.293071 |
| Kilocalorie/hour | Watt | 1.163 |
| Ton of refrigeration | Watt | 3516.85 |
| Foot-pound/second | Watt | 1.35582 |