Appendices

A.1 SI SYSTEM OF UNITS AND CONVERSION

FACTORS
A.1.1 Rules for Using SI Units
The following rules for SI usage are based on recommendations from
several international conferences, the International Organization for
Standardization, and the American Society of Agricultural Engineers.

A.1.1.1 SI Prefixes
The prefixes along with the SI symbols are given in Table A.1.1. The
prefix symbols are printed in roman (upright) type without spacing
between the prefix symbol and the unit symbol. The prefixes provide
an order of magnitude, thus eliminating insignificant digits and deci-
mals. For example,
19,200 m or 19.2  103 m becomes 19.2 km

Table A.1.1 SI Prefixes

Factor Prefix Symbol Factor Prefix Symbol
1018 exa E 10–1 deci d
15 –2
10 peta P 10 centi c
1012 tera T 10–3 milli m
109 giga G 10–6 micro μ
6
10 mega M 10–9 nano n
103 kilo k 10–12 pico p
2 –15
10 hecto h 10 femto f
101 deka da 10–18 atto a
771
772 Appendices

An exponent attached to a symbol containing a prefix indicates

that the multiple or submultiple of the unit is raised to the power
expressed by the exponent. For example,
1 mm3  (10 m)3  109 m3
3

1 cm1  (102 m)1  102 m1

Compound prefixes, formed by the juxtaposition of two or more SI

prefixes, are not to be used. For example,
1 nm but not 1 mμm

Among the base units, the unit of mass is the only one whose name,
for historical reasons, contains a prefix. To obtain names of decimal
multiples and submultiples of the unit mass, attach prefixes to the
word “gram.”
Attach prefixes to the numerator of compound units, except when
using “kilogram” in the denominator. For example, use
2.5 kJ/s not 2.5 J/ms

but
550 J/kg not 5.5 dJ/g

In selecting prefixes, a prefix should be chosen so that the numerical

value preferably lies between 0.1 and 1000. However, double prefixes
and hyphenated prefixes should not be used. For example, use
GJ not kMJ

A.1.1.2 Capitalization
The general principle governing the writing of unit symbols is as fol-
lows: roman (upright) type, in general lowercase, is used for symbols
of units; however, if the symbols are derived from proper names, cap-
ital roman type is used (for the first letter), for example, K, N. These
symbols are not followed by a full stop (period).
If the units are written in an unabbreviated form, the first letter is not
capitalized (even for those derived from proper nouns): for example,
kelvin, newton. The numerical prefixes are not capitalized except for
symbols E (exa), P (peta), T (tera), G (giga), and M (mega).
 A.1 SI Systems of Units and Conversion Factors 773

A.1.1.3 Plurals
The unit symbols remain the same in the plural form. In unabbre-
viated form the plural units are written in the usual manner. For
example:
45 newtons or 45 N
22 centimeters or 25 cm

A.1.1.4 Punctuation
For a numerical value less than one, a zero should precede the deci-
mal point. The SI symbols should not be followed by a period, except
at the end of a sentence. English-speaking countries use a centered
dot for a decimal point; others use a comma. Large numbers should
be grouped into threes (thousands) by using spaces instead of com-
mas. For example,
3 456 789.291 22

not
3,456,789.291,22

A.1.1.5 Derived Units

The product of two or more units may be written in either of the fol-
lowing ways:
Nm Nm

A solidus (oblique stroke, /), a horizontal line, or negative powers

may be used to express a derived unit formed from two others by
division. For example:
m
m/s m s1
s
A solidus must not be repeated on the same line. In complicated
cases, parentheses or negative powers should be used. For example:
m/s2 or m s2 but not m/s/s
J/(s m K) or J s1 m1 K1 but not J/s/m/K
774 Appendices

Table A.1.2 Useful Conversion Factors

Acceleration of gravity
g  9.80665 m/s2
g  980.665 cm/s2
g  32.174 ft/s2
1 ft/s2  0.304799 m/s2
Area
1 acre  4.046856  103 m2
1 ft2  0.0929 m2
1 in2  6.4516 × 104 m2
Density
1 lbm/ft3  16.0185 kg/m3
1 lbm/gal  1.198264  102 kg/m3
Density of dry air at 0°C, 760 mm Hg  1.2929 g/L
1 kg mol ideal gas at 0°C, 760 mm Hg  22.414 m3
Diffusivity
1 ft2/h  2.581  10–5 m2/s
Energy
1 Btu  1055 J  1.055 kJ
1 Btu  252.16 cal
1 kcal  4.184 kJ
1 J  1 N m  1 kg m2/s2
1 kW h  3.6  103 kJ
Enthalpy
1 Btu/lbm  2.3258 kJ/kg
Force
1 lbf  4.4482 N
1 N  1 kg m/s2
1 dyne  1 g cm/s2  105 kg m/s2
Heat flow
1 Btu/h  0.29307 W
1 Btu/min  17.58 W
1 kJ/h  2.778 × 104 kW
1 J/s  1 W
Heat flux
1 Btu/(h ft2)  3.1546 W/m2
Heat transfer coefficient
1 Btu/(h ft2 °F)  5.6783 W/(m2 K)
1 Btu/(h ft2 °F)  1.3571  104 cal/(s cm2 °C)
Length
1 ft  0.3048 m
1 micron  106 m  1 μm
1 Å  1010 m
1 in  2.54 × 102 m
1 mile  1.609344  103 m
Mass
1 carat  2 × 104 kg
1 lbm  0.45359 kg
1 lbm  16 oz  7000 grains
1 ton (metric)  1000 kg
Mass transfer coefficient
1 lb mol/(h ft2 mol fraction)  1.3562 × 103 kg mol/(s m2 mol fraction)

(Continued)
 A.1 SI Systems of Units and Conversion Factors 775

Table A.1.2 (Continued)

Power
1 hp  0.7457 kW
1 W  14.34 cal/min
1 hp  550 ft lbf/s
1 Btu/h  0.29307 W
1 hp  0.7068 Btu/s
1 J/s  1 W
Pressure
1 psia  6.895 kPa
1 psia  6.895 × 103 N/m2
1 bar  1 × 105 Pa  1 × 105 N/m2
1 Pa  1 N/m2
1 mm Hg (0°C)  1.333224  102 N/m2
1 atm  29.921 in. Hg at 0°C
1 atm  33.90 ft H2O at 4°C
1 atm  14.696 psia  1.01325  105 N/m2
1 atm  1.01325 bar
1 atm  760 mm Hg at 0°C  1.01325  105 Pa
1 lbf/ft2  4.788  102 dyne/cm2  47.88 N/m2
Specific heat
1 Btu/(lbm °F)  4.1865 J/(g K)
1 Btu/(lbm °F)  1 cal/(g °C)
Temperature
T°F  T°C  1.8  32
T°C  (T°F – 32)/1.8
Thermal conductivity
1 Btu/(h ft °F)  1.731 W/(m K)
1 Btu in/(ft2 h °F)  1.442279  10–2 W/(m K)
Viscosity
1 lbm/(ft h)  0.4134 cp
1 lbm/(ft s)  1488.16 cp
1 cp  10–2 g/(cm s)  10–2 poise
1 cp  10–3 Pa s  10–3 kg/(m s)  10–3 N s/m2
1 lbf s/ft2  4.7879  104 cp
1 N s/m2  1 Pa s
1 kg/(m s)  1 Pa s
Volume
1 ft3  0.02832 m3
1 U.S. gal  3.785  10–3 m3
1 L  1000 cm3
1 m3  1000 L
1 U.S. gal  4 qt
1 ft3  7.481 U.S. gal
1 British gal  1.20094 U.S. gal
Work
1 hp h  0.7457 kW h
1 hp h  2544.5 Btu
1 ft lbf  1.35582 J
 776
Appendices
Table A.1.3 Conversion Factors for Pressure
in Hg mm Hg in H20
lbf/in2 kPa kgf/cm2 (at 21°C) (at 21°C) (at 21°C) atm
2
1 lbf/in2
 1 689.473  10 0.07031 2.036 51.715 27.71 0.06805
1 kPa  0.1450383 1 101.972  104 0.2952997 7.5003 4.0188 986.923  105
1
1kgf/cm 2
 14.2234 980.665  10 1 28.959 735.550 394.0918 967.841  103
1 in Hg (21°C)  0.4912 338.64  102 0.03452 1 25.40 13.608 0.03342
3
1 mm Hg (21°C)  0.01934 0.1333273 1.359  10 0.03937 1 0.5398 1.315  103
1 in H2O (21°C)  0.03609 24.883  102 2.537  103 0.0735 1.8665 1 2.458 103
1 atm  14.6959 101.3251 1.03323 29.9212 760 406 1