Conversion factors

Instructions
Multiplying or dividing by a conversion factor is equivalent to multiplying by 1. For additional
conversion factors and units, see pp pages 1-4 to 1-19 in Perry's Chemical Engineers' Handbook (7th
Edition), section 1 of the Handbook of Chemistry and Physics (84th ed), or an internet site such as that
at Process Associates. Units are always singular. That is, for example, an elapsed time of 5 minutes is
written as 5 min, not 5 mins. A distance of 5 meters is written 5 m, not 5 ms (that would be
millisecond).

Mass definitions of symbols

(2.20462 lbm/kg) lbm -- pound of mass
(1000 g/kg) lbf -- pound of force (used in English
(1000 kg/metric_ton) Engineering System; force required to
(tonne/1000 kg) accelerate 1 lbm by 32.174 ft/s2;
(35.27392 oz/kg) approximately the weight of 1 lbm)
(16 oz/lbm) kg -- kilogram (1000 g)
(2000 lbm/ton) metric ton -- 1000 kg (also called tonne)
(453.593 g/lbm) oz -- ounce
(32.1740 lbm/slug) slug -- mass unit in English Gravitational
(14.5939 kg/slug) System (defined as the mass accelerated
(32.174 lbm ft / lbf s2) (This is often given the to 1 ft/s2 by a force of 1 lbf)
symbol gc) ton -- 2000 lbm (also called “short ton”)
(1 kg m / N s2) (Basically the definition of N, long ton -- 2240 lb (also called “gross
i.e. the force required to accelerate 1 kg by ton,” “weight ton” and “imperial ton”)
1m/s2.) g -- gram
(2240 lb / long ton) N -- Newton
 
 
Length (12 in/ft)
(100 cm/m) (5280 ft/mile)
(1000 mm/m)  
(1E6 micron/m) definitions of symbols
(1E10 Å /m) cm -- centimeter (0.01 m)
(2.54 cm/inch) in -- inch
(39.37 in/m) mm -- millimeter (0.001 m)
(3.2808 ft/m) micron -- micrometer (10-6 m) (also often
(1.0936 yd/m) written mm)
(0.0006214 mile/m) Å -- Angstrom unit (10-10m)
(30.48 cm/ft) m -- meter
(0.3048 m/ft) ft -- foot
(3 ft/yd) yd -- yard

 
Volume (1E6 ml/m3)
(1000 liter/m3) (35.3145 ft3/m3)
(1E6 cm3/m3) (220.83 imperial_gal/m3)
 (264.17 gal/m3)  
(1056.68 qt/m3) Definitions of symbols
(1728 in3/ft3) ml -- milliliter
(7.4805 gal/ft3) gal -- U.S. gallon
(0.028317 m3/ft3) L -- liter
(28.317 L/ft3) qt -- quart
(1000 L/m3)
(28317 cm3/ft3)
 
Time
(60 s/min)
(60 min/h)
(24 h/day)
(365.25 day/year)
(3600 s/h)
 
Force Definitions of units
(1E5 dyne/N) N -- Newton
(1E5 g cm/(N s2)) lbf -- pound of force in English
(0.22481 lb_f/N) Engineering System (force required to
(4.4482 N/lbf) accelerate 1 lbm by 32.174 ft/s2;
(4.4482E5 dyne/lbf) approximately the weight of 1 lbm)
(0.0310810 lbf/poundal) lbm -- pound of mass
(0.1382250 N/poundal) poundal -- unit of force in Absolute
(lbm ft/(poundal s2)) English System (defined as the force that
(slug ft/(lbf s2)) accelerates 1 lbm by 1 ft/s2)
(32.174 lbm ft/(lbf s2)) (This is often given the slug -- unit of mass in English
symbol gc) Gravitational System (defined as the
(1 kg m / N s2) mass accelerated to 1 ft/s2 by a force of 1
  lbf)

Pressure and stress N -- Newton

(1.01325E5 (N/m2)/atm) Pa -- Pascal (N/m2)
((N/m2)/Pa) MPa -- megaPascal (106Pa)
(1E6 Pa/MPa) kPa -- kiloPascal (103Pa)
(101.325 kPa/atm) atm -- atmosphere
(1.01325 bar/atm) bar -- bar
(100 kPa / bar) lbf -- pound force
(1.01325E6 (dyne/cm2)/atm) Torr -- formerly mm of mercury,
(760 Torr/atm) renamed after Torricelli
(14.696 (lbf/in2)/atm) psi -- pound force per square inch
(psi/(lbf/in2)) psia -- pound force per square inch
  absolute
Definitions of units psig -- pound force per square inch guage
guage pressure = absolute pressure - 1 (psig = psia - 14.696)
atm (e.g., psig and barg)
 
Energy Definitions of units
(N m/J) N -- Newton
(1E7 erg/J) J -- Joule
(dyne cm/erg) MJ -- megajoule (106 J)
(2.778E-7 kW h/J) W -- Watt
(0.23901 cal/J) kW -- kilowatt (1000 w)
(1000 J/kJ) cal -- calorie (heat to raise 1 g of water by
(0.7376 ft lbf/J) 1oC)
(9.486E-4 Btu/J) Btu -- British thermal unit (heat to raise 1
(100,000 Btu/therm) lbm of water by 1oF).
(105.5 MJ/therm) therm -- 100,000 Btu. Commonly used to
(J / W s) price natural gas (see units for measuring
(kJ / kW s) natural gas).
 
 
Power J -- Joule
((J/s)/W) W -- watt
((0.23901 cal/s)/W) V -- volt
((0.7376 ft lbf/s)/W) A -- ampere (1 coulomb/s)
((9.486E-4 Btu/s)/W) W-- ohm (resistance)
(1.341E-3 hp/W) cal -- calorie
(1000 W/kW) lbf -- pound force
(W/V/A) Btu -- British thermal unit
(W/A2/W) hp -- horsepower
(ton refrig/3.517 kW) ton refrig -- ton of refrigeration -- that
  required to form 1 ton of ice per day
Definitions of units (12,000 Btu/h)
 
Viscosity
((0.01 g/(cm s))/cp)
cp -- centipoise
 
Temperature TK is absolute temperature in Kelvin (not
TK =TC +273.15 degrees Kelvin)
TR =TF +459.67 TR is absolute temperature in degrees
TR =1.8 TK Rankine.
TF =1.8 TC +32 TF is temperature in degrees Fahrenheit.
TC =( TF -32)/1.8 TC is temperature in degrees Celsius
(1.8 DTC /DTF) (formerly Centrigrade)
(1.8 DTK /DTR) DTK is the change in temperature in
(DTK /DTC) Kelvin
(DTR /DTF]) DTR is the change in temperature in
  degrees Rankin.
DTF is the change in temperature in
 degrees Fahrenheit DTC is the change in temperature in
degrees Celsius

 
Ideal gas constant mol -- gram mole (mass in g divided by
R =8.314 m Pa/mol/K;
3
molecular weight)
R =0.08314 liter bar/mol/K; lb_mol -- pound mole (mass in lbm
R =0.08206 liter atm/mol/K; divided by molecular weight)
R =62.36 liter torr/mol/K; psia -- pound force per square inch
R =0.7302 ft atm/lb_mol/deg_R;
3
absolute
R =10.73 ft3 psia/lb_mol/deg_R; atm -- atmosphere
R =8.314 J/mol/K; K -- Kelvin
R =1.987 cal/mol/K; deg_R -- degrees Rankine
R =1.987 Btu/lb_mol/R; cal -- calorie
  Btu -- British thermal unit
 
Electrical Definitions of units
(W/V/A) J -- Joule
(W/A /W)
2
W -- watt
(1000 W/kW) V -- volt
(V/A/W) A -- ampere (1 coulomb/s)
(s/F/W) C -- coulomb (unit of charge)
(C/A/s) W -- ohm (resistance)
(Hz s) S -- siemens (conductance = 1/resistance)
(S V/A) F -- Farad (capacitance)
  Hz - Hertz (frequency)
 
 
Last revised June 27, 2006. Please send comments and suggestions to W.R. Wilcox