Conversion Factors

Length
1 in = 2.54 cm = 25.4 mm
1 ft = 12 in
1 m = 3.28 ft = 39.37 in = 100 cm = 1000 mm = 106 μm = 109 nm
1 yd = 3 ft
1 mi = 5280 ft = 1.609 km
1 na mi = 6080 ft
Mass
1 kg = 2.2 lb = 1000 g
1 lb = 454.5 g = 16 oz = 7000 grains
1 slug = 14.59 kg = 14,590 g = 32.2 lb
1 metric ton = 1000 kg = 2200 lb
1 British ton = 1016 kg
1 US ton = 907.2 kg
1 short ton = 2000 lb
1 long ton = 2240 lb
1 stone = 6.35 kg
Area
1 acre = 4046.8 m2
1 hectare = 10,000 m2

Volume
1 m3 = 1000 L = 264.17 US gal
1 L = 1000 cm3 (cc)
1 ml = 1 cc
1 ft3 = 7.481 US gal = 28.317 L
1 US gal = 3.785 L = 4 qt
1 British gal = 1.20 US gal
1 barrel = 115.63 L
1 bushel = 35.24 L
1 oz = 29.57 cm3 or mL
1 board foot= 1 ft x 1 ft x 1 in. (volume of a board that is one foot square and 1 in thick)
Time
1 min = 60 sec
1 hr = 60 min
1 day = 24 hrs
1 banker’s yr = 360 days
1 common yr = 365 days
1 leap yr = 366 days
Note: A year is a leap year if it is divisible by 4 provided it doesn’t end with ‘00’. If it
ends with 00’, it is only a leap year when it is divisible by 400.
Angle
1 revolution = 3600 = 2 radian = 400 grads = 6400 mills
1 min. arc = 60 sec. arc
10 = 60 min. arc
Velocity
1 kph = 1 km per hour
1 mph = 1 mile per hour
1 knot = 1 nautical mile per hour
1 rpm = 1 revolution per minute

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Force, Weight
1 N = 105 dyn
1 lbF = 4.45 N
1 kgF = 9.81 N
1 dyn = 2.25x10-6 lbF
1 N = 1 kgm/s2
1 dyn = 1 gcm/s2
1 lbF = 1 slug-ft/s2
F = ma
W = mg

Power
1 hp = 746 W = 550 ft-lbF/s = 0.707 Btu/s = 42.42 Btu/min = 2545 Btu/hr
1 boiler hp = 35,322 kJ/hr
1 W = 1 J/s = 14.34 cal/min = 3.412 Btu/hr
1kW = 1.34 hp = 1000 W
W V2
P= = VI = I2R =
t R
Energy, Heat, Work
1 J = 1 Nm = 1 kgm2/s2 = 107 erg
1 erg = 1 gcm2/s2
1 Btu = 252 cal = 1055 J = 1.055 kJ = 778 ft-lbF
1 cal = 4.187 J
1 ft-lbF = 1.356 J
1 kWhr = 3412 Btu
W=Fd
W = E = Pt
Prefixes for Powers of Ten
Less than 1 prefixes
Prefix Abbreviation Power
yocto y 10-24
zepto z 10-21
atto a 10-18
fempto f 10-15
pico p 10-12
nano n 10-9
micro μ 10-6
milli m 10-3
centi c 10-2
deci d 10-1
Greater than 1 prefixes
Prefix Abbreviation Power
yotta Y 1024
zetta Z 1021
exa E 1018
peta P 1015
tera T 1012
giga G 109
mega M 106
kilo k 103

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-3- 930
Problem Set 1
Convert the following.

1. 20 m to in Ans. 787.44 in
2. 10 m/s to kph
3. 120 mph to ft/s Ans. 175.97ft/s
4. 30 lbs to kg
5. 50 cm2 to ft2
6. 14 N to kg Ans. 1.427 kg
7. 12 slugs to lbs
8. 50 N to lbs Ans. 11.236 lb
9. 18 mph to kph Ans. 28.962 kph
10. 15 km/hr to m/s
11. How many cubic meters is 100 gallons of liquid?
12. How many feet difference is 1 mile to 1 km?
13. How many N is 20 kgF?
14. The maximum speed of the rabbit is 135 mph. How fast is the rabbit move in m/s?
15. Which is longer, 100 m or 100 yards?

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