B – Conversion Factors

\mathbf{m} \mathbf{cm} \mathbf{km}
1 metre 1 10^2 10^{-3}
1 centimetre 10^{-2 1 10^{-5}
1 kilometre 10^3 10^5 1
1 inch 2.540\times10^{-2} 2.540 2.540\times10^{-5}
1 foot 0.3048 30.48 3.048\times10^{-4}
1 mile 1609 1.609\times10^4 1.609
1 angstrom 10^{-10}
1 fermi 10^{-15}
1 light-year 9.460\times10^{12}
\mathbf{in.} \mathbf{ft} \mathbf{mi}
1 metre 39.37 3.281 6.214\times10^{-4}
1 centimetre 0.3937 3.281\times10^{-2} 6.214\times10^{-6}
1 kilometre 3.937\times10^{4} 3.281\times10^3 0.6214
1 inch 1 8.333\times10^{-2} 1.578\times10^{-5}
1 foot 12 1 1.894\times10^{-4}
1 mile 6.336\times10^4 5280 1
Table B1 Length 

Area

1~\mathrm{cm}^2=0.155~\mathrm{in.}^2

1~\mathrm{m}^2=10^4~\mathrm{cm}^2=10.76~\mathrm{ft}^2

1~\mathrm{in.}^2=6.452~\mathrm{cm}^2

1~\mathrm{ft}^2=144~\mathrm{in.}^2=0.0929~\mathrm{m}^2

Volume

1~\mathrm{litre}=1000~\mathrm{cm}^3=10^{-3}~\mathrm{m}^3=0.03531~\mathrm{ft}^3=61.02~\mathrm{in.}^3

1~\mathrm{ft}^3=0.02832~\mathrm{m}^3=28.32~\mathrm{litres}=7.477~\mathrm{gallons}

1~\mathrm{gallon}=3.788~\mathrm{litres}

\mathbf{s} \mathbf{min} \mathbf{h} \mathbf{day} \mathbf{yr}
1 second 1 1.667\times10^{-2} 2.778\times10^{-4} 1.157\times10^{-5} 3.169\times10^{-8}
1 minute 60 1 1.667\times10^2 6.944\times10^{-4} 1.901\times10^{-6}
1 hour 3600 60 1 4.167\times10^{-2} 1.141\times10^{-4}
1 day 8.640\times10^4 1440 24 1 2.738\times10^{-3}
1 year 3.156\times10^7 5.259\times10^5 8.766\times10^3 365.25 1
Table B2 Time 
\mathbf{m/s} \mathbf{cm/s} \mathbf{ft/s} \mathbf{mi/h}
1 meter/second 1 10^2 3.281 2.237
1 centimeter/second 10^{-2} 1 3.281\times10^{-2} 2.237\times10^-2
1 foot/second 0.3048 30.48 1 0.6818
1 mile/hour 0.4470 44.70 1.467 1
Table B3 Speed 

Acceleration

1~\mathrm{m/s}^2=100~\mathrm{cm/s}^2=3.281~\mathrm{ft/s}^2

1~\mathrm{cm/s}^2=0.01~\mathrm{m/s}^2=0.03281~\mathrm{ft/s}^2

1~\mathrm{ft/s}^2=0.3048~\mathrm{m/s}^2=30.48~\mathrm{cm/s}^2

1~\mathrm{mi/h}\cdot\mathrm{s}=1.467~\mathrm{ft/s}^2

\mathbf{kg} \mathbf{g} \mathbf{slug} \mathbf{u}
1 kilogram 1 10^3 6.852\times10^{-2} 6.024\times10^{26}
1 gram 10^{-3} 1 6.852\times10^{-5} 6.024\times10^{23}
1 slug 14.59 1.459\times10^4 1 8.789\times10^{27}
1 atomic mass unit 1.661\times10^{-27} 1.661\times10^{-24} 1.138\times10^{-28} 1
1 metric ton 1000
Table B4 Mass 
\mathbf{N} \mathbf{dyne} \mathbf{lb}
1 newton 1 10^5 0.2248
1 dyne 10^{-5} 1 2.248\times10^{-6}
1 pound 4.448 4.448\times10^5 1
Table B5 Force 
\mathbf{Pa} \mathbf{dyne/cm}^2 \mathbf{atm} \mathbf{cmHg} \mathbf{lb/in.}^2
*Where the acceleration due to gravity is 9.80665~\mathrm{m/s}^2 and the temperature is 0^{\circ}\mathrm{C}
1 pascal 1 10 9.869\times10^{-6} 7.501\times10^{-4} 1.450\times10^{-4}
1 dyne/centimetre2 10^{-1} 1 9.869\times10^{-7} 7.501\times10^{-5} 1.450\times10^{-5}
1 atmosphere 1.013\times10^5 1.013\times10^6 1 76 14.70
1 centimetre mercury* 1.333\times10^3 1.333\times10^4 1.316\times10^{-2} 1 0.1934
1 pound/inch2 6.895\times10^3 6.895\times10^4 6.805\times10^{-2} 5.171 1
1 bar 10^5
1 torr 1~(\mathrm{mmHg})
Table B6 Pressure
\mathbf{J} \mathbf{erg} \mathbf{ft.lb}
1 joule 1 10^7 0.7376
1 erg 10^{-7} 1 7.376\times10^{-8}
1 foot-pound 1.356 1.356\times10^7 1
1 electron-volt 1.602\times10^{-19} 1.602\times10^{-12} 1.182\times10^{-19}
1 calorie 4.186 4.186\times10^7 3.088
1 British thermal unit 1.055\times10^3 1.055\times10^{10} 7.779\times10^2
1 kilowatt-hour 3.600\times10^6
\mathbf{eV} \mathbf{cal} \mathbf{Btu}
1 joule 6.242\times10^{18} 0.2389 9.481\times10^{-4}
1 erg 6.242\times10^{11} 2.389\times10^{-8} 9.481\times10^{-11}
1 foot-pound 8.464\times10^{18} 0.3239 1.285\times10^{-3}
1 electron-volt 1 3.827\times10^{-20} 1.519\times10^{-22}
1 calorie 2.613\times10^{19} 1 3.968\times10^{-3}
1 British thermal unit 6.585\times10^{21} 2.520\times10^2 1
Table B7 Work, Energy, Heat 

Power

1~\mathrm{W}=1~\mathrm{J/s}

1~\mathrm{hp}=746~\mathrm{W}=550~\mathrm{ft}\cdot\mathrm{lb/s}

1~\mathrm{Btu/h}=0.293~\mathrm{W}

Angle

1~\mathrm{rad}=57.3^{\circ}=180^{\circ}/\pi

1^{\circ}=0.01745~\mathrm{rad}=\pi/180~\mathrm{rad}

1~\mathrm{revolution}=360^{\circ}=2\pi~\mathrm{rad}

1~\mathrm{rev/min}~(\mathrm{rpm})=0.1047~\mathrm{rad/s}

License

Icon for the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License

Introduction to Electricity, Magnetism, and Circuits Copyright © 2018 by Daryl Janzen is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.