Appendix A

Conversion Factors and Values

of the Gas Constant

Because standard reference books contain data in diverse units, we include Tables A.1 and
A.2 to aid in the conversion of values from one set of units to another. Those units having no
­connection with the SI system are enclosed in parentheses. The following definitions are noted:

(ft)=≡ U.S. defined foot ≡ 0.3048 m

(in)=≡ U.S. defined inch ≡ 0.0254 m
(gal)=≡ U.S. liquid gallon ≡ 231 (in)3
(lbm)=≡ U.S. defined pound mass (avoirdupois)
=≡ 0.45359237 kg
(lbf)=≡ force to accelerate 1(lbm) by 32.1740 (ft)·s−2
(atm)=≡ standard atmospheric pressure ≡ 101,325 Pa
(psia)=≡ pounds force per square inch absolute pressure
(torr)=≡ pressure exerted by 1 mm mercury at 0°C and standard gravity
(cal)=≡ thermochemical calorie
(Btu)=≡ international steam table British thermal unit
(lb mole)=≡ mass in pounds mass with numerical value equal to the molar mass
(R)=≡ absolute temperature in Rankines

The conversion factors of Table A.1 are referred to a single basic or derived unit of the
SI system. Conversions between other pairs of units for a given quantity are made as in the
following example:
​
1 bar = 0.986923 (atm) = 750.061 (torr)​
thus
750.061
1 (atm) = ​_________
​    
 ​  
= 760.00 (torr)​
0.986923 

648
APPENDIX A.  Conversion Factors and Values of the Gas Constant 649

Table A.1: Conversion Factors

Quantity Conversion
Length 1 m​  ​  =
​​    100 cm​
=​  3.28084 ​
​(​ft​)​ = 39.3701 ​​(​in​)​​​
Mass 1 kg 3
​​ ​  ​  =​  ​10​​ ​ g​  ​​
  = 2.20462​ ​(​lb​ m​)​
Force 1 N = 1 kg·m·​s−2 ​​ ​
  
​​ ​  ​  =​  ​10​​5​  (dyne)​ ​​
  = 0.224809​ ​(​1​b​ f​)​
Pressure 1 bar = ​10​​5​ kg·​m​​−1​·​s​​−2​ = ​10​​5​ N·​m​​−2​
  = ​10​​5​ Pa = ​10​​2​ kPa
    6 −2​
  
  
  
​​   
​  ​  =​  ​10​​ ​ (dyne)·​cm​​ ​​
​ ​ ​​ ​
  = 0.986923 (atm)
  = 14.5038 (psia)
  = 750.061 (torr)
Volume 1 ​m3​​ ​= ​10​​6​ ​cm​​3​ = ​10​​3​ liters
   
 ​ ​​  
​  ​  =​ ​  35.3147​  (ft)​​3​ ​​​
  = 264.172 (gal)
Density 1 g·​cm​​−3​= ​10​​3​ kg·​m−3
​​ ​
​​  
​  ​  ​  ​ ​​
  = 62.4278 (​lb​  m​​)​(ft)​​−3​
Energy 1 J = 1 kg·​m2​​ ​·​s−2 ​​ ​ = 1 N·m
  = 1 ​m3​​ ​·Pa = ​10​​−5​ ​m3​​ ​·bar = 10 ​cm​​3​·bar
  = 9.86923 ​cm​​3​·(atm)
​  ​  =​ ​  ​10​​7​ (dyne)·cm = ​
    
    
  
   
  
 ​ ​​    ​ 10​​​ 7​  ​(erg)​ ​  ​​​
  = 0.239006 (cal)
  = 5.12197 × ​10​​−3​​  (ft)​​3​(psia) = 0.737562 (ft)(l​b​  f​​)
  = 9.47831 × ​10​​−4​  (Btu) = 2.77778 × ​10​​−7​ kW·h
Power 1 kW = ​10​​3​ W = ​10​​3​ kg·​m2​​ ​·​s−3 ​​ ​ = ​10​​3​ J·​s−1
​​ ​
  = 239.006 (cal)·​s​​ ​ −1

 ​​    
  
      
​  ​  =​  737.562 (ft)(l​ ​​
b​  f​​)·​s​ −1
​​ ​ ​ ​
  = 0.947831 (Btu)·​s−1 ​​ ​
  = 1.34102 (hp)

Table A.2: Values of the Universal Gas Constant

R = 8.314​ J·mol​−1 ​ ​·K​−1​ ​ = 8.314 ​m3​ ​·Pa·mol​−1

​ ​·K​−1​ ​
​ = 83.14​ cm​​3​·bar·mol​​−1​·K​​−1​ = 8314 ​cm​​3​·kPa·mol​​−1​·K​​−1​
​ = 82.06​ cm​3​ ​·(atm)​·mol​−1 ​ ​·K​−1
​ ​ = 62,356​ cm​3​ ​·(torr)​·mol​−1
​ ​·K​−1
​ ​
​      
      
​      
    
​  ​  −1 −1   ( ) ​ −1 −1​ ​ ​
​ = 1.987​ (cal)·mol​​ ​·K​​ ​ = 1.986​ ​ ​Btu​ ​(lb mole)​​ ​(R)​​ ​
​ = 0.7302​ (ft)​​ (​ ​atm​)​(lb mol)​​ ​(R)​​ ​ = 10.73 ​(ft)​​ (​ ​psia​)​(lb mol)​​ ​(R)​​ ​
3 −1 −1 3 −1 −1

​ = 1545​ (ft)​​(​lb​ f​)​(lb mol)​−1
​ ​(​R​)−1
​ ​