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Calculator Answers

Power Converter

Blake Boege
Written by Blake Boege · Founder, Calculator Answers

A power converter is a scientific measurement utility that translates power values between different metric, mechanical, and thermal units. This one supports six: watts (W), kilowatts (kW), megawatts (MW), mechanical horsepower (hp), British thermal units per hour (BTU/h), and foot-pounds per second (ft·lb/s). There is one horsepower here and it is the mechanical one, defined as 550 foot-pounds per second. Every pair is converted through the watt, and the three factors that are not powers of ten are derived from their defining values rather than typed in rounded. Engineering students, electricians, automotive technicians, and HVAC specialists use this tool to standardize rate-of-work measurements across different systems.

Pick a 'from' unit and a 'to' unit, enter a value, and the converter returns all common power units. Handles SI (W, kW, MW), imperial (mechanical hp), heating/cooling (BTU/h), and ft·lb/s.

See also: Torque Converter, Energy Converter, and Newtons to Pounds.

Quick Answer

Convert power measurements between scientific, mechanical, and electrical units. Enter your power value and select units to calculate conversions across watts, horsepower, and BTUs.

Decimals are fine. Negative power is unusual but accepted. · e.g. 1

Internal base unit is the watt. Each conversion goes through watts, so accuracy is consistent across pairs.

Power

Kilowatt → Horsepower

1.341022 hp

1 kW = 1.341022 hp

Watt (W)1,000 W
Kilowatt (kW)1 kW
Megawatt (MW)0.001 MW
Horsepower, mechanical (hp)1.341022 hp
BTU per hour (BTU/h)3,412.141633 btuh
Foot-pound per second (ft·lb/s)737.562149 ftlbs

1 kW = 1,000 W; 1 MW = 1,000,000 W. 1 mechanical hp ≈ 745.7 W; 1 BTU/h ≈ 0.2931 W; 1 ft·lb/s ≈ 1.356 W. Mechanical horsepower is the standard "imperial" hp; metric (PS) and electrical hp are slightly different.

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Examples

1 kW

≈ 1.341 mechanical hp; 3,412 BTU/h

100 mechanical hp

= 74,570 W; 254,433 BTU/h

24,000 BTU/h

≈ 7,033 W; 9.43 hp (cooling)

1 ft·lb/s

≈ 1.356 W

How it works

Each power unit is defined by its size in watts. The converter multiplies the input by the "from" factor (in watts), then divides by the "to" factor.

SI scale · 1 kW = 1,000 W; 1 MW = 1,000,000 W

Imperial · 1 mech. hp ≈ 745.7 W; 1 ft·lb/s ≈ 1.356 W

HVAC · 1 BTU/h ≈ 0.293 W

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Torque ConverterConvert torque between newton metres (N·m) and pound-feet (lb·ft, also written ft-lb or ft lbs), plus pound-inches, ounce-inches, kilonewton metres and kilogram-force metres.Energy ConverterConvert between joules, kilojoules, calories, kilocalories (food Calories), watt-hours, kilowatt-hours, and BTU. Disambiguates cal vs kcal clearly.Newtons to PoundsConvert Newtons to pounds. Find the direct force answer, the conversion formula, standard reference tables, and a live converter.

Frequently asked questions

Power is the rate of energy transfer (energy per unit time). The SI unit is the watt: 1 watt = 1 joule per second. Higher units (kilowatt, megawatt) scale by 1,000 each step.

Mechanical horsepower (the most common imperial hp) is 745.699872 watts. Metric horsepower (PS) is slightly different at 735.499 watts. This converter uses mechanical hp.

BTU per hour is the standard rating unit for heating and air conditioning equipment in the US. A 24,000 BTU/h air conditioner is also rated at about 7,033 watts or 2 tons of cooling.

Foot-pound per second is a rarely-used imperial power unit (work done per second). 1 ft·lb/s ≈ 1.356 watts. James Watt originally defined horsepower as 550 ft·lb/s.

Almost. Electrical hp is defined as exactly 746 watts, used for motors. Mechanical hp is 745.7 watts. The difference is tiny; in most everyday use the two are interchangeable.