Appendix C

Conversions and Standards

Length
2.54 cm = 1 in
25.4 mm = 1 in
12 in = 1 ft
3 ft = 1 yard
5,280 ft = 1 mile
1,780 yards = 1 mile
1,609 m = 1 mile
0.868 nautical miles = 1 U.S. mile

Area
1 sq. in = 6.452 sq. cm
1 sq. in = 6,452 sq. mm
1 sq. ft = 144 sq. in
1 sq. ft = 0.09290 sq. m
1 sq. ft = 9 sq. ft

Volume
1 cu. cm = 1 mL
1 cu. in = 16.39 cu. cm
1 cu. ft = 1,728 cu. in
1 cu. ft = 0.02832 cu. m
1 L = 1.057 quarts (US)
0.9463 L = 1 quart
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1 U.S. Gallon = 0.1337 cu. ft

1 U.S. Gallon = 0.8327 Imperial gallons

Time
60 s = 1 min
60 min = 1 h
24 h = 1 day
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3,600 s = 1 h

Mass and Weight

16 ounces = 1 pound
1 g = 1,000 mg
1 pound = 2.205 kg
1 ton (US) = 2,000 pounds
1 tonnes (Metric ton) = 1,000 kg
1 dram = 1771.85 mg

Energy
1 cal = 0.003968 Btu
1 cal = 4.187 J
1 Btu = 252 cal
1 J = 0.2388 cal

Velocity
1 ft/s = 0.3048 m/s
1 ft/s = 0.8618 miles/h

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 Conversions and Standards 519

1 ft/s = 0.5921 knots

1 m/s = 3.281 ft/s
1 m/s = 2.237 miles/h
1 mile/h = 0.4470 m/s
1 mile/h = 1.467 ft/s
1 knot = 0.5148 m/s
1 knot = 1.151 miles/h
1 knot = 1.689 ft/s
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Density
1 pound/cu. ft = 0.01602 cu. cm
1 g/cu. cm = 62.42 pounds/cu. ft
1 g/cu. cm = 1,000 kg/cu. m
1 kg/cu. m = 0.001 g/cu. cm

Pressure
1 psia = 6.895 kN/sq m
1 psia = 0.0680 atm
1 psia = 27.67 in H2O
1 psia = 51.72 mmHg
1 psig = ADD 14.7 psia
1 mmHg (Torr) = 0.01934 psia
1 mmHg (Torr) = 0.1333 kN/m2
1 in H2O = 0.2491 kN/m2
1 kg/cm2 = 735.6 mmHg (Torr)
1 in H2O = 0.3614 psia
1 kg/cm2 = 0.9678 atm
1 kg/cm2 = 0.9678 atm
1 atm = 101.3 kN/m2
1 kg/cm2 = 14.22 psia

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 520 Safety Professional’s Reference and Study Guide

1 atm = 14.70 psia

1 bar = 100 kN/m2
1 kN/m2 = 0.1450 psia
1 bar = 0.9869 atm
1 kN/m2 = 0.009869 atm
1 bar = 1.020 kg/cm2
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Heat Capacity
1 Btu/pound/oF = 1 cal/g/oC
1 Btu/pound/oF = 4,187 J/kg-K
1 J/kg-K = 0.0002388 Btu/pound/OF
1 cal/gm/oC = 1 Btu/pound/oF

Concentration
1 ppm = 1 mg/L
1 mg/L = 1 ppm
1 mg/m3 = 1 × 10 –9 g/cm3
1 g/cm3 = 1 × 109 mg/m3
1 g/m3 = 62.42 lbs/ft3
1 lb/ft3 = 0.01602 g/cm3

SI Conversion Factors
From Multiply By To Find

Length
Inches 25.4 Millimeters
Feet 0.305 Meters
Yards 0.914 Meters
Miles 1.61 Kilometers

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 Conversions and Standards 521

Continued
From Multiply By To Find
Area
Sq. in 645.2 Sq mm
Sq. ft 0.093 Sq m
Sq. yd 0.836 Sq m
Acre 0.405 Hectacres
Sq. mile 2.59 Sq km
Volume
Fluid ounce 29.57 Milliliters
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Gallons 3.785 Liter

Cubic feet 0.028 Cubic meters
Cubic yards 0.765 Cubic meters
Mass
Ounce 28.35 Grams
Pounds 0.454 Kilograms

Temperature
Fahrenheit 5(oF − 32)/9 Celsius
Celsius 9(oC + 32)/5 Fahrenheit
Celsius oC + 273 Kelvin
Fahrenheit oF + 460 Rankine
Force, Pressure, or Stress
Poundforce 4.45 Newtons
Poundforce/sq. 6.89 Kilopascals
in
Illumination
Foot-candle 10.76 Lux
Foot-Lambert 3.426 Candela/m2

Standards and Constants

Physical Constants

Acceleration of gravity = 32.2 ft/s2 = 9.8 m/s2

Velocity of light = 3.0 × 108 m/s
Planck’s constant = 6.626 × 10 –34 J-s
Avagadro’s number = 6.024 × 1023/g-mole

Radiation

1 rad = 10 –2gray
1 rem = 10 –2 sievert

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 522 Safety Professional’s Reference and Study Guide

1 curie = 3.7 × 1010 becquerel

1 becquerel = 1 disintegration/s

Density of Water

1 g/cm3 = 1.94 slugs/ft3

weight density = 62.4 lbs/ft3
1 U.S. Gallon of H2O = 8.345 lbs

Angles
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1 radian = 180o/π

Light

1 candela = 1 lumen/steradian
1 foot-candle = 10.76 candela/m2 = 10.76 lux

Magnetic Fields
1 tesla = 10,000 gauss

Energy
1 British Thermal Unit (Btu) = 1,055 J
1 Faraday = 9.65 × 104 coul
1 g-cal = 4.19 J
1 g-mole @ 0o C and 1 atm = 22.4 L
1 g-mole @ 25oC and 1 atm = 24.45 L
1 amp-h = 3,600 coul
1 wt = 1 J/s = 1 amp × 1 volt
1 kwh = 3.6 × 106 J

Standards
STP (physical science) = 0oC and 1 atm
STP (ventilation) = 70oF and 1 atm
Air density = 0.075 lb/ft3 at 70oF and 1 atm
STP (industrial hygiene) = 25oC and 1 atm

© 2011 by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC