Power conversion
How to convert power
Power is the rate at which energy is transferred. Convert the rate itself, and do not confuse watts with watt-hours.
Open the power converterUse watts as the common unit
1 watt = 1 joule per second
Metric power units scale by powers of ten: 1 kW = 1,000 W and 1 MW = 1,000,000 W. A 2.75 kW appliance therefore has a power rating of 2,750 W.
Convert horsepower carefully
Horsepower has more than one definition. Mechanical horsepower is about 745.699872 W, while metric horsepower is about 735.49875 W. A 100 mechanical hp engine is about 74.57 kW.
Always retain the horsepower type when precision matters.
Thermal power rates
BTU per hour is a power unit commonly used for heating and cooling. It is not the same as a BTU, which is energy. Similarly, a foot-pound per second is power, while a foot-pound alone is energy.
Power versus energy
A 1 kW device running for 3 hours uses 3 kWh of energy. Converting 1 kW to watts does not tell you total consumption until time is included. This distinction matters when comparing equipment ratings with utility bills.
Convert with ToolPixels
The free Power Converter converts the supported units in your browser. Enter a value, choose the source and target units, select the needed precision, and review the displayed formula before using the result.