Unit of Measure Conversions
Work (energy) Conversions
Work is done when a force acting on an object causes it to move in the direction of the force.
Additional Units and Information
| Name | Symbol | Value | Description/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| British Thermal Unit | BTU | The amount of heat required to raise the temperature of 1 lb of water by 1°F | |
| calorie | cal | The amount of heat required to raise the temperature of 1 g of water by 1°C | |
| erg | erg | 1 dyne⋅centimetre | The work done by a force of 1 dyne acting through a distance of 1 cm |
| foot⋅pound | ft⋅lbf | The work done by a force of 1 pound weight acting through a distance of 1 foot | |
| foot⋅poundal | ft⋅pdl | The work done by a force of 1 poundal acting through a distance of 1 foot | |
| joule | J | 1 newton⋅metre | The work done by a force of 1 newton acting through a distance of 1 metre |
| kilocalorie | kcal | 1,000 calories | Used for quoting the energy value of foods |
| watt⋅second | W⋅s | 1 joule; 1/3600 watt⋅hour |
Useful Approximations
| Approximation | % Accuracy |
|---|---|
| 1 joule ≈ ¾ foot⋅poundforce | 98.3 |
| 1 calorie ≈ 100 foot⋅poundals | 99.4 |
| 1 calorie ≈ 3 foot⋅poundsforce | 97.1 |
| 1 British Thermal Unit ≈ 25,000 foot⋅poundals | 99.9 |
| 1 British Thermal Unit ≈ 250 calories | 99.2 |
| 1 therm ≈ 30 kilowatt⋅hours | 97.7 |
| 1 therm ≈ 25,000 kilocalories | 99.2 |