Conversion Factors

Energy Convertion
• Energy conversion, the transformation of energy from forms provided
by nature to forms that can be used by humans.
• Many of the energy converters widely used today involve the
transformation of thermal energy into electrical energy.
• The efficiency of such systems is, however, subject to fundamental
limitations, as dictated by the laws of thermodynamics and other
scientific principles.
• In recent years, considerable attention has been devoted to certain
direct energy-conversion devices, notably solar cells and fuel cells,
that bypass the intermediate step of conversion to heat energy in
electrical power generation.
 Energy Convertion devices and efficiency
• A device is a piece of equipment that serves a specific purpose. An
energy conversion device converts one form of energy into another. It
is an important element of progress of society.
 Cont..
• The efficiency of an energy conversion device is a quantitative
expression of this balance between energy input and energy output. It
is defined as follows:
• Device efficiency = Useful energy output/ Energy input
 Energy Losses and efficiency
• Energy conversions always imply energy losses. A quantity of energy
in a certain form is put into a machine or device, for conversion into
another form of energy.
• The output energy in the desired form is only a part of the Input
energy. The balance is the energy loss (usually in the form of diffused
heat). It means the converter has less than 100% efficiency.
• The efficiency of an energy converter is now defined as the quantity
of energy in the desired form (the output energy) divided by the
quantity of energy put in for conversion (the input energy).
Common Energy Conversion Devices
Cont..
Conversion Factors
What happens when a measurement is multiplied by
a conversion factor?
•If you think about any number of everyday situations, you
will realize that a quantity can usually be expressed in
several different ways.

•For example:
• 1 dollar = 4 quarters = 10 dimes = 20 nickels = 100 pennies

•These are all expressions, or measurements, of the same

amount of money.
•The same thing is true of scientific quantities.

•For example:
• 1 meter = 10 decimeters = 100 centimeters = 1000
millimeters

•These are different ways to express the same length.

•Whenever two measurements are equivalent, a ratio of
the two measurements will equal 1, or unity.

•For example, you can divide both sides of the equation

1 m = 100 cm by 1 m or by 100 cm.

1m 100 cm 1m 100 cm
= = 1
or = = 1

1m 1m 100 cm 100 cm
•The ratios 100 cm/1 m and 1 m/100 cm are examples of
conversion factors.

•A conversion factor is a ratio of equivalent

measurements.

1 m = 100 cm = 1 1m 100 cm
or = = 1
1m 1m 100 cm 100 cm

conversion factors
• The measurement in the numerator (on the top) is
equivalent to the measurement in the denominator (on
the bottom).

•The conversion factors shown below are read “one

hundred centimeters per meter” and “one meter per
hundred centimeters.”

1 m = 100 cm = 1 1m 100 cm
or = = 1
1m 1m 100 cm 100 cm

conversion factors
 Uses of Cversion Factors

•Conversion factors are useful in solving problems in

which a given measurement must be expressed in
some other unit of measure.
Thank You