Conversion Factors

Test Measurement World Staff - April 13, 2007

Acceleration Mass
Area Pressure & Force
Density Specific Heat
Diffusivity Speed
Energy, Heat, Power Surface Tension
Heat Capacity, Heat/ Temperature
Unit Mass, Specific Heat Thermal Conductivity
Heat Flux Thermal Resisitance
Heat-Generation Rate Viscosity
Heat-Transfer Coefficient Volume
Length Constants
Mass Flux Dynamic Measurements

Acceleration

1 ft/s2 = 0.3048 m/s2

1 m/s2 = 3.2808 ft/s2

Area

1 in2 = 6.4516 cm2

1 in2 = 6.4516 x 104 m2

1 ft2 = 929 cm2

1 ft2 = 0.0929 m2

1 m2 = 10.764 ft2

Density

1 lb/in3 = 27.680 g/cm3

1 lb/in3 = 27.680 x 103 kg/m3

1 lb/ft3 = 16.019 kg/m3

1 kg/m3 = 0.06243 lb/ft3

1 slug/ft3 = 515.38 kg/m3

1 lb mol/ft3 = 16.019 kg mol/m3

1 kg mol/m3 = 0.06243 lb mol/ft3

Diffusivity

1 ft2/s = 0.0920 m2/s

1 ft2/h = 0.2581 cm2/s

1 ft2/h = 0.2581 x 104 m2/h

1 m2/s = 10.7639 ft2/s

1 cm2/s = 3.8745 ft2/h

Energy, Heat, Power

1J=1W.s=1N.m

1 J = 107 erg

1 Btu = 1055.04 J

1 Btu = 252 cal

1 Btu = 778.161 ft . lbf

1 Btu/h = 0.2931 W

1 Btu/h = 3.93 x 104 hp

1 cal = 4.1868 J

1 cal = 3.968 x 103 Btu

1 hp = 550 ft . lbf/s

1 hp = 745.7 W

1 Wh = 3.413 Btu

Heat Capacity, Heat/Unit Mass, Specific Heat

1 Btu/h .oF = 0.5274 W/oC

1 W/oC = 1.8961 Btu/h . oF

1 Btu/lb = 2325.9 J/kg

1 Btu/lb .oF = 4186.69 J/kg . oC

1 Btu/lb . oF = 1 cal/g .oC

Heat Flux
1 Btu/h . ft2 = 3.1537 W/m2

1 Btu/h . ft2 = 3.1537 x kW/m2

1 W/m2 = 0.31709 Btu/h . ft2

Heat-Generation Rate

1 Btu/h . ft3 = 10.35 W/m3

1 Btu/h . ft3 = 8.9 kcal/h . m3

1 W/m3 = 0.0966 Btu/h . ft3

Heat-Transfer Coefficient

1 Btu/h . ft2 .oF = 5.677 W/m2 .oC

1 Btu/h . ft2 .oF = 5.677 x 104 W/cm2 .oC

1 W/m2 .oC = 0.1761 Btu/h . ft2 .oF

1 Btu/h . ft2 .oF = 4.882 kcal/h . m2 .oC

Length

1 Å = 10-10 m

1 in = 2.54 cm

1 in = 2.54 x 10-2 m

1 ft = 0.3048 m

1 m = 3.2808 ft

1 mile = 1609.34 m

1 mile = 5280 ft

1 light year = 9.46 x 1015 m

Mass Flux

1 lb mol/ ft2 . h = 1.3563 x 10-3 kg mol/m2 . s

1 kg mol/ m2 . s = 737.3 lb mol/ft2 . h

1 lb/ft2 . h = 1.3563 x 10-3 kg/m2 . s

1 lb/ft2 . s = 4.882 kg/ m2 . s

1 kg/m2 . s = 737.3 lb/ft2 . h

1 kg/m2 . s = 0.2048 lb/ft2 . s

Mass

1 oz = 28.35 g

1 lb = 16 oz

1 lb = 453.6 g

1 kg = 2.2046 lb

1 g = 15.432 grains

1 slug = 32.1739 lb

1 ton (metric) = 1000 kg

1 ton (metric) = 2205 lb

1 ton (short) = 2000 lb

1 ton (long) = 2240 lb

Pressure & Force

1 N = 1 kg . m/s2

1 N = 0.22481 lbf

1 N = 7.2333 poundals

1 N = 105 dyne

1 lbf = 32.174 ft . lb/s2

1 lbf = 4.4482 N

1 lbf / in2 = (1 psi) = 6.894.76 N/m2

1 lbf/ ft2 = 47.880 N/m2

1 bar = 105 N/m2

1 atm = 14.696 lbf / in2

1 atm = 2116.2 lbf / ft2

1 atm = 1.0132 bar

Specific Heat

1 Btu/lb .oF = 1 kcal/kg .oC = 1 cal/g .oC

1 Btu/lb .oF = 4186.69 J/kg .oC

1 Btu/lb .oF = 4.18669 J/g .oK

1 J/kg .oC = 0.23885 Btu/lb . oF

Speed

1 ft/s = 0.3048 m/s

1 m/s = 3.2808 ft/s

1 mile/h = 1.4667 ft/s

1 mile/h = 0.44704 m/s

Surface Tension

1 lbf/ft = 14.5937 N/m

1 N/m = 0.068529 lbf/ft

Temperature

1 K = 1.8 oR

T (oF) = 1.8 (K-273) + 32

T (oC) = 1/1.8 (oR-492)

D T (oC) = 1.8 D T (oF)

Thermal Conductivity

1 Btu h . ft .oF = 1.7303 W/m .oC

1 Btu h . ft .oF = 0.4132 cal/s . m2 .oC

1 W/m .oC = 0.5779 Btu/h. ft .oF

Thermal Resistance

1 h .oF Btu = 1.896 oC/W

1 oC/W = 0.528 h .oF Btu

Viscosity

1 poise = 1 g/cm . s

1 poise = 241.9 lb/f . h

1 lb/ft . s = 1.4882 kg/m . s

1 lb/ft . s = 14.882 poises

1 lb/ft . h = 0.4134 x 10-3 kg/m . s

1 lb/ft . h = 0.4134 x 10-2 poise

Volume

1 in3 = 16.387 cm3

1 cm3 = 0.06102 in3

1 liter = 1 x 10-3 m3

1 oz (U.S. fluid) = 29.573 cm3

1 ft3 = 28.3168 liters

1 ft3 = 7.4805 gal (U.S.)

1 m3 = 35.315 ft3

1 gal (U.S.) = 3.7854 liters

Constants

Gravitational Acceleration Conversion Factor

gc = 32.1739 ft . lb/ lbf. s2

= 4.1697 x 108 ft . lb/ lbf. h2

= 1 g . cm/dyn . s2

= 1 kg . m/N . s2

= 1 lb . ft/poundal . s2

= 1 slug . ft/ lbf. s2

Mechannical Equivalent of Heat

J = 778.16 ft . lbf /Btu

Gas Constant

R = 1544 ft . lbf /lb mol .oR

= 0.730 ft3 . atm/lb mol .oR

= 0.08205 m3 . atm/kg mol . K

= 8.314 J/g mol . K

= 8.314 N . m/g mol . K

= 1.987 cal/ g mol . K

Stefan-Boltzman Constant

d = 0.1714 x 10-8 Btu/h . ft2 .oR4

 = 0.56697 x 10-8 W/m2 . K4

Dynamic Measurements

Sinusoids

rms vallue = 0.707 x peak value

rms value = 1.11 x average value

peak value = 1.414 x rms value

peak value = 1.57 x average value

average value = 0.637 x peak value

average value = 0.90 x rms value

peak-to-peak = 2 x peak value

crest factor = (peak value)/(rms value)

(applies to any varying quantity)

Random excitation

G = Ö (B Go)

where: G = rms level in g units

B = frequency bandwidth in Hz

Go = acceleration density in g2/Hz

crest factor = (peak magnitude)/(rms magnitude)

Displacement, Velocity, Acceleration Relationships

(for sinusoidal motion only)

d = do sin 2p ft

v = do 2p ft cos 2p ft

a = -do (2p ft ) 2 sin 2p ft

G = accleration/g

vo = 6.28 f do =3.14 f D

vo = 61.42 (G/f) in/s pk

= 1.560 (G/f) m/s pk

do = 9.780 (G/f2) inches pk

 = 0.2484 (G/f2) meters pk

where:

do = peak displacement

D = pk-pk displacement

G = acceleration in g units

f = frequency in Hz

T = period in seconds

g = 9.80665 m/ s2

= 32.174 ft/ s2

= 386.09 in/ s2

G = 0.0511 f2 D (where: D = inches pk-to-pk)

G = 2.013 f2 D (where: D = meters pk-to-pk)

T = 1/f seconds

Acceleration Due to Rotational Motion

G = 0.000028 42 r n2

where: G = acceleration in g

r = radius arm in inches

n = revolutions per minute

G = 0.10225 rf2

where: r = radius of arm in inches

f = revolutions per second

G = 4.02568 rf2

where: r = radius of arm in meters

f = revolutions per second

Ohm’s Law for AC Circuits

I = E/Z = P/(E cos q )

E = IZ = P/(I cos q )

Z = E/I = P/(I2 cos q ) = (E2 cos q )/P

P = I2Z cos q = EI cos q = (E2 cos q )/Z

where:

cos q = R/Z = P/EI = power factor

q = angle of lead or lag between current & voltage

Z = ohms

Resistors or Capacitors in Series

Rt = R1 + R2 + R3 + ...

1/Ct = 1/C1 + 1/C2 + 1/C3 + ...

Resistors or Capacitors in Parallel

1/Rt = 1/R1 + 1/R2 + 1/R3 + ...

Ct = C1 + C2 + C3 + ...

Two Resistors in Parallel

Rt = (R1 R2 )/(R1 + R2)

R1 = (Rt R2)/(R2 - Rt)

Impedance

Series Circuit:

Z = / [R2 + (XL+ XC)] 2

Parallel Circuit:

Z = (RX)/ Ö (R2 + X2)

Reactance

XC = - [1/(2p fC)]

XL = 2p fL

Resonance Frequency of First Bending Mode

(Unloaded beams)

fn = C Ö [(EIg)/(L4W)]

where: C = constant, function of method of support

E = elastic modulus

I = moment of inertia of cross section

 g = acceleration of gravity

L = length

W = Weight per unit length

Support Method

Cantilever 0.56

Point support each end 1.57

Both ends fixed 3.56

Totally unsupported 3.56

Angular Motion (sinusoidal)

Measurand Magnitude where

q o = peak angular
Angular displacement q = q o sin 2p ft
displacement
W = 2p f q o cos 2p ft
Angular velocity = peak angular velocity
W o = 2p f q o Wo

a = 4p 2 f2qo sin 2p ft a o = peak angular

Angular acceleration
a o = 4p 2 f2 q o = 2p f W o acceleration
q = radians
Arc distance s = rq
r = radius of rotation
Tangential velocity v t = rW W = radians/s
A t = ra a = radians/s2
G t = (ra )/(386.1) g units (r = inches)
Tangential acceleration
G t = (ra )/(9.806) g units (r = meters)

Driving Long Lines

Eo = Im / Ö [(1/RL2) + ([2p fpl] 2)/1012]

Eo = maximum output voltage of signal conditioner in volts without exceeding current rating.

Im = maximum output current in milliamperes.

RL = resistive termination at end of cable in kilo-ohms.

f = maximum frequency in kHz.

p = capacitance in pF per unit length of cable.

l = cable length in selected units.

Forced Vibration

X = (Fo/k) / Ö ((1-mw 2/k)2 +cw /k)2)

tan f = (cw /k) / (1-mw 2/k)

These terms may be further reduced in terms of the following quantities:

w n = Ö (k/m) = natural frequency of undamped oscillation in radians per second.

z = c/c c = damping factor.

c c = 2mw n = critical damping coefficient.

X o = F o /k = zero frequency deflection for the spring-mass system under the action of a steady force
F o (not to be confused with statical deflection D = W/k).

The nondimensional form of X and f then becomes:

X/ X o = 1 / Ö [1-(w /w n) 2]2 + (2z w /w n) 2

tan f = (2z w /w n ) / (1-(w /w n) 2)

The term X/ X o, called the magnification factor, represents the factor by which the zero frequency
deflection must be multiplied to determing the amplitude X. These equations indicate that X/ X o and
f are functions only of the frequency ratio w /w n and the damping factor z .

Conversion Charge to Voltage Sensitivity

Es = 1000 Qs

Cp + Ct

where:

Es = voltage sensitivity, mV/g

Qs = charge sensitivity, pC/g

Cp = transducer capacitance, pF

Ct = total external capacitance, pF