Appendix B

Conversion Factors

TABLE B.1 Conversion Factors for Commonly Used Quantities

Quantity SI to English English to SI

Area 1 m 10.764 ft
2 2
1 ft2 0.00929 m2
1550.0 in2 1 in2 6.452  104 m2
Density 1 kg/m3 0.06243 lbm/ft3 1 lbm/ft3 16.018 kg/m3
1 slug/ft3 515.379 kg/m3
Energy 1 J 9.4787  104 Btu 1 Btu 1055.056 J
1 cal 4.1868 J
1 lbf$ft 1.3558 J
1 hp$h 2.685  106 J

Energy per unit mass 1 J/kg 4.2995  104 Btu/lbmlb/lbm 2326 J/kg
Force 1 N 0.22481 lbf 1 lbf 4.448 N
1 pdl 0.1382 N

Gravitation g 9.80665 m/s2 g 32.17405 ft/s2

Heat flux 1 W/m2 0.3171 Btu/h$ft2 1 Btu/h$ft2 3.1525 W/m2
1 kcal/h$m2 1.163 W/m2
1 cal/s$cm2 41 870.0 W/m2
Heat generation (volume) 1 W/m3 0.09665 Btu/h$ft3 1 Btu/h$ft3 10.343 W/m3

Heat transfer coefficient 1 W/m2$K 0.1761 Btu/h$ft2$ F 1 Btu/h$ft2$ F 5.678 W/m2$K

1 kcal/h$m2$ C 1.163 W/m2$K
1 cal/s$m2$ C 41870.0W/m2$K
Heat transfer rate 1 W 3.4123 Btu/h 1 Btu/h 0.2931 W
Length 1 m 3.2808 ft 1 ft 0.3048 m
39.370 in 1 in 2.54 cm 0.0254 m
1 km 0.621 371 mi 1 mi 1.609344 km
1 yd 0.9144 m
Mass 1 kg 2.2046 lbm 1 lbm 0.4536 kg
1 ton (metric) 1000 kg 1 slug 14.594 kg
1 grain 6.47989105 kg
Mass flow rate 1 kg/s 7936.6 lbm/h 1 lbm/h 0.000126 kg/s
2.2046 lbm/s 1 lbm/s 0.4536 kg/s
Power 1 W 1 J/s 3.4123 Btu/h 1 Btu/h 0.2931 W
0.737 562 Ibf$ft/s 1 Btu/s 1055.1 W
1 hp (metric) 0.735 499 kW 1 lbf$ft/s 1.3558 W
1 ton of refrig. 3.516 85 kW 1 hpUK 745.7 W

Pressure and stress 1 Pa 0.020886 lbf/ft2 1 lbf/ft2 47.88 Pa

(Pa N/m2) 1.4504  104 lbf/in2 1 lbf/in2 1 psi 6894.8 Pa
4.015  103 in water 1 stand. atm. 1.0133  105 Pa
2.953  104 in Hg 1 bar 1  105 Pa

(Continued)

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TABLE B.1 Conversion Factors for Commonly Used QuantitiesdContd
Quantity SI to English
4
Specific heat 1 J/kg$K2.388610 Btu/lbm$ F
Surface tension 1 N/m 0.06852 lbf/ft
Temperature T(K) T( C) + 273.15
T( R)/1.8
[T( F) + 459.67]/1.8
T( C) [T( F) 32]/1.8
Temperature difference 1 K 1 C 1.8 R 1.8 F
Thermal conductivity 1 W/m$K 0.57782 Btu/h$ft$ F
Thermal diffusivity 1 m2/s 10.7639 ft2/s
Thermal resistance 1 K/W 0.52750  F$h/Btu
Velocity 1 m/s 3.2808 ft/s
1 km/s 0.62137 mi/h
Viscosity (dynamic) 1 kg/m$s 0.672 lbm/ft$s
(kg/m$s N$s/m2) 2419.1 lbm/fh$h
Viscosity (kinematic) 1 m2/s 10.7639 ft2/s
1  104 stokes
Volume 1 m3 35.3134 ft3
1 L 1 dm3 0.001 m3
Volumetric flow rate 1 m3/s 35.3134 ft3/s
1.2713  105 ft3/h
Appendix B
English to SI

1 Btu/lbm$ F 4187 J/kg$K
1 lbf/ft 14.594 N/m
1 dyn/cm 1  103 N/m
T( R) 1.8T(K)
T( F) + 459.67
1.8T( C) + 32
1.8[T(K)  273.15] + 32
1 R 1 F 1 K/1.8 1 C/1.8
1 Btu/h$ft$ F 1.731 W/m$K
1 kcal/h$m$ C 1.163 W/m$K
1 cal/s$cm$ C 418.7 W/m$K
1 ft2/s 0.0929 m2/s
1 ft2/h 2.581  105 m2/s
1  F$h/Btu 1.8958 K/W
1 ft/s 0.3048 m/s
1 ft/min 5.08  103 m/s
1 lbm/ft$s 1.4881 kg/m$s
1 lbm/ft$h 4.133  104 kg/m$s
1 centipoise (cP) 102 poise
1  103 kg/m$s
1 ft2/s 0.0929 m2/s
1 ft2/h 2.581  105 m2/s
1 stoke 1 cm2/s
1 ft3 0.02832 m3
1 in3 1.6387  105 m3
1 galUS 0.003785 m3
1 galUK 0.004546 m3
1 ft3/s 2.8317  102 m3/s
1 ft3/min 4.72  104 m3/s
1 ft3/h 7.8658  106 m3/s
1 galUS/min 6.309  105 m3/s