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Fundamental Constants and Unit Conversion

INTRODUCTION TO BIOENGINEERING

FUNDAMENTAL CONSTANTS

and

UNIT CONVERSION

José A. Leonardo Santos

Miguel Prazeres

Department of Bioengineering

2013/2014
Fundamental Constants and Unit Conversion

Table 1 – Some Fundamental Constants

Acceleration of gravity (at sea level, 45º latitude)

g = 9.80665 m s-2 = 980.665 cm s-2 = 32.1740 ft s-2

gc = 980.665 g cm gf-1 s-2 (gravitational conversion factor)

= 32.1740 lbm ft lbf-1 s-2

g/gc = 9.80665 N/kg = 980.665 dyne/g = 1.0 lbf lbm-1

Boltzmann Constant

kB = R/Nav = 1.380 x 10-23 J molec.-1 K-1

Ideal Gas Constants


R = 1.9872 cal mol-1 K-1

= 1.9872 BTU lbmol-1 °R-1

= 0.082057 atm L mol-1 K-1

= 8.3143 J mol-1 K-1

= 8.3143 Pa m3 mol-1 K-1

= 62.361 mmHg L mol-1 K-1

= 0.7302 atm ft3 lbmol-1 °R-1

= 10.731 lbf ft3 poleg-2 lbmol-1 °R-1

Joule Constant (mechanic equivalent of heat)

Jc = 4.184 x 107 erg cal-1 = 778.16 ft lbf BTU-1

Planck Constant

h = 6.625 x 10-34 J s molec.-1 = 6.625 x 10-27 erg s molec.-1

Stefan-Boltzmann Constant

 = 5.670 x 10-8 W m-2 K-4 = 0.1714 x 10-8 Btu h-1 ft-2 °R-4

Avogadro Number

Nav = 6.02214 x 1023 molec. mol-1

PI
 = 3.14159265...

Speed of Light in Vaccum

c = 2.998 x 108 m s-1


Fundamental Constants and Unit Conversion

Table 2 – Internacional System Prefixes

Factor Prefix Symbol Factor Prefix Symbol

Multiples Submultiples

1018 Exa E 10-1 Deci d

1015 Peta P 10-2 Centi c


12 -3
10 Tera T 10 Mili m

109 Giga G 10-6 Micro 


106 Mega M 10-9 Nano n

103 Kilo K 10-12 Pico p

102 Hecto H 10-15 Femto f

101 Deca Da 10-18 Ato a

Table 3 – Length (L)

1 m = 100 cm = 3.2808 fts = 39.37 in

1 in = 2.540 cm = 0.02540 m

1 mile = 5280 fts (ft) = 1609.3 m

1 Å = 10-10 m = 10-4 m = 10-1 nm

Table 4 – Volume (L3)

1m3 = 106 cm3 = 1000 dm3 = 1000 L (liters) = 35.313 fts3

= 6.102 x 104 in3 = 6.2898 barrels

1 ft3 = 28.317 L = 0.028317 m3 = 7.481 gallons (american)

1 in3 = 16.387 cm3

1 gallon = 3.785 L = 0.8327 gallons (british)


(american)
1 barrel = 42.0 gallons (american) = 0.15899 m3
Fundamental Constants and Unit Conversion

Table 5 – Mass (M)

1 kg = 1000 g = 2.2046 lb = 35.27 oz (ounces) = 15432 grains

1 lb (lbm) = 16 oz = 7000 grains = 453.59 g

1 ton (metric) = 1000 kg

1 ton (american) = 2000 lb = 907.185 kg

1 carat (precious stones) = 0.200 g

Table 6 – Amount of substance (N)

1 mol (gmol) = 10-3 kmol = 10-3 kgmol

= 2.2046 x 10-3 lbmol

1 lbmol = 453.59 mol

Table 7 – Density (L-3M)

1 kg m-3 = 10-3 g cm-3 = 0.06243 lb ft-3

1 g cm-3 = 1000 kg m-3 = 62.43 lb ft-3

-2
Table 8 – Force (L M T )

1 N = 1 kg m s-2 = 0.1020 kgf = 105 dynes (g cm s-2)

= 0.2248 lbf = 7.233 poundal (lb ft s-2)

1 lbf = 4.4482 N

Table 9 – Pressure and Shear stress (L-1 M T -2


)
-2 -1 -2 -3 -2
1 Pa = 1 N m = 1 kg m s = 1 J m = 0.1020 kgf m

= 10-5 bar = 10 dyne cm-2 (g cm-1 s-2 ) = 9.8692 x 10-6 atm


(a)
1 atm = 1.01325 x 105 Pa = 101.325 kPa = 760 mm Hg

= 1033.6 cm H2O (b) = 406.8 in H2O (b) = 1.01325 bar

= 14.696 psi (lbf in-2) = 1.0336 kgf cm-2 = 29.921 in Hg (a)


(a)
1 Torr = 1.00 mm Hg = 0.133322 kPa

1 psi = 6.89476 kPa = 51.715 mm Hg(a) = 2.036 in Hg (a)

= 2.311 fts H2O (c)

(a) refers to mercury at 0°C (Hg = 13.5955 g cm-3 ).


(b) refers to water at 4°C (H O = 1.0000 g cm-3 )
2

(c) refers to water at 70°F (21.1ºC) (H O = 0.998002 g cm-3 )


2
Fundamental Constants and Unit Conversion

Table 10 – Energy, Work and Heat (L2 M T -2


)

1 J (Joule) = 1 N m = 1 Pa m3 = 1 W s = 1 kg m2 s-2

= 0.23901 cal (a) = 9.4783 x 10-4 Btu = 107 erg (g cm2 s-2)

= 2.778 x 10-7 kW h = 23.730 lb ft2 s-2 = 0.73756 ft lbf


(a)
1 cal = 4.1840 J = 3.9657 x 10-3 BTU = 4.132 x 10-2 L atm

1 calIT (b) = 4.1868 J

1 BTU = 252.16 cal (a) = 251.996 cal IT (b) = 1.05506 kJ


(British Thermal Unit)
1 cv h = 2544.5 BTU = 0.7457 kW h = 6.4162 x 105 cal

1 kW h = 8.598 x 105 cal = 3.6 x 106 J

(a) Termochemical Calory


(b) Calory according to International Table

Table 11 – Power (L2 M T -3


)

1 W = 1 J s-1 = 1 kg m2 s-3 = 14.340 cal min-1 = 0.1020 kgf m s-1

= 5.687 x 10-2 BTU min-1 = 1.340 x 10-3 cv

1 cv (hp) = 745.70 W = 0.7068 BTU s-1

1 BTU h-1 = 0.29307 W = 550 ft lbf s-1

Table 12 – Viscosity (L-1 M T -1


)

1 Pa s = 1 N s m-2 = 1 kg m-1 s-1 = 10 poise (g cm-1 s-1; dyne s cm-2)

= 1000 cp = 2.419 x 103 lb ft-1 h-1

1 cp (centipoise) = 10-2 poise = 1 mPa s = 2.089 x 10-5 lbf ft-2 s = 10-3 kg m-1 s-1

Table 13 – Mass Flux (L-2 M T -1


) and Molar Flux (L-2 N T -1
)

1 g s-1 cm-2 = 10 kg s-1 m-2 = 7.3734 x 103 lb h-1 ft-2

1 mol s-1 cm-2 = 10 kmol s-1 m-2 = 7.3734 x 103 lbmol h-1 ft-2

Table 14 – Temperature ()

T(ºC) = T(K) T(K) = T(ºC) + 273.15

T(ºC) = 1.8 T(ºF) T(ºF) = 1.8 T(ºC) + 32

T(ºF) = T(ºR) T(ºR) = T(ºF) + 459.67

T(K) = 1.8 T(ºR) T(ºR) = 1.8 T(K)


Fundamental Constants and Unit Conversion

Table 15 – Heat Capacity (L2 T -2


-1 or L2 M T -2
N-1 -1)

1 cal g-1 ºC-1 = 1 cal g-1 K-1 = 4.184 J g-1 K-1 = 1 BTU lb-1 °F-1

= 1 BTU lb-1 °R-1

1 cal mol-1 ºC-1 = 1 cal mol-1 K-1 = 4.184 J mole-1 K-1 = 1 BTU lbmol-1 °F-1

= 1 BTU lbmol-1 °R-1

Table 16 – Specific Enthalpy and Latent Heat (L2 T -2


or L2 M T -2
N-1)

1 cal g-1 = 1.80 BTU lb-1 = 4.184 kJ kg-1

1 BTU lb-1 = 0.556 cal g-1 = 2.326 kJ kg-1

1 cal mol-1 = 1.80 BTU lbmol-1 = 4.184 kJ kgmol-1

Table 17 - Various

1 Da (Dalton) = 1 g mol-1

Average Molecular Mass of Air = 28.9 g mol-1 = 28.9 lb lbmol-1


-1 3 -1
Molar Volume of Air at PTS (a) = 22.41 L mol = 22.41 m kmol

Density of Air at PTS (a) = 1.2929 g L-1 = 0.080711 lb ft-3

(a) PTS (Pressure and Temperature Standard ) – Temperature of 0ºC and absolute pressure of 1 atm

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