Conversion/Equivalency Factors

A conversion factor is a number that translates units of one system of measure into corresponding units of another. The table has conversion factors for the same basic units—for example, a unit of length is converted to another unit of length. Conversion factors can also be used to translate physical units of measure for various fuels into British thermal unit (Btu) equivalents. This is useful to assess how much heat can be generated from a given amount of an energy source.

The tables are as accurate as possible. Please contact us with any discrepancies.

Click on the letter below that matches the first letter of the unit you would like to convert.

To convert from one unit to another unit using the conversion factors, multiply the number of units by the conversion factor to obtain the equivalent number in another unit.

Example: How many Btu are in 10 therms, or 10 therms are equivalent to how many Btu?

From the table: 10 therms x 100,000 = 1,000,000 Btu

To reverse the conversion, divide by the factor: 1,000,000 Btu/100,000 = 10 therms

The scientific notation used in the Conversion Factor column reduces long numbers to a manageable length. By convention, the number is always shown as a unit (1 to 9), with decimal places chosen to suit accuracy, and the size of the number is adjusted by changing the magnitude (E+_). E+01 means moving the decimal point one digit to the right, E+00 means leaving the decimal point where it is, and E–01 means moving the decimal point one digit to the left. Example: 1.00E+01 is 10, 1.33E+00 stays at 1.33, and 1.33E–01 becomes 0.133. This format tends to be used when the figure becomes lengthy.

A number to the power of another number, such as y to the power of z (y^z), means to multiply y z times.

Example: Ten to the power of six (10^6 or 10⁶) means multiplying ten six times. Ten times ten times ten times ten times ten times ten equals one million so one million equals 10⁶.

Spaces have been inserted after every third digit to the right of the decimal point for ease of reading.