UNITS

The FE exam and this handbook use both the metric system of units and the U.S. Customary System (USCS). In the USCS system of units, both force and mass are called pounds. Therefore, one must distinguish the pound-force (lbf) from the pound-mass (lbm). The pound-force is that force which accelerates one pound-mass at 32.174 ft/sec2. Thus, 1 lbf = 32.174 lbm-ft/sec2. The expression 32.174 lbm-ft/(lbf-sec2) is designated as gc and is used to resolve expressions involving both mass and force expressed as pounds. For instance, in writing Newtons second law, the equation would be written as F = ma/gc, where F is in lbf, m in lbm, and a is in ft/sec2. Similar expressions exist for other quantities. Kinetic Energy, KE = mv2/2gc, with KE in (ft-lbf); Potential Energy, PE = mgh/gc, with PE in (ft-lbf); Fluid Pressure, p = gh/gc, with p in (lbf/ft2); Specic Weight, SW = g/gc, in (lbf/ft3); Shear Stress, = (/gc)(dv/dy), with shear stress in (lbf/ft2). In all these examples, gc should be regarded as a unit conversion factor. It is frequently not written explicitly in engineering equations. However, its use is required to produce a consistent set of units. Note that the conversion factor gc [lbm-ft/(lbf-sec2)] should not be confused with the local acceleration of gravity g, which has different units (m/s2 or ft/sec2) and may be either its standard value (9.807 m/s2 or 32.174 ft/sec2) or some other local value. If the problem is presented in USCS units, it may be necessary to use the constant gc in the equation to have a consistent set of units.
METRIC PREFIXES Prefix atto femto pico nano micro milli centi deci deka hecto kilo mega giga tera peta exa

Multiple 1018 1015 1012 109 106 103 102 101 101 102 103 106 109 1012 1015 1018

Symbol a f p n m c d da h k M G T P E

COMMONLY USED EQUIVALENTS 1 gallon of water weighs 1 cubic foot of water weighs 1 cubic inch of mercury weighs The mass of 1 cubic meter of water is 8.34 lbf 62.4 lbf 0.491 lbf 1,000 kilograms

TEMPERATURE CONVERSIONS F = 1.8 (C) + 32 C = (F 32)/1.8 R = F + 459.69 K = C + 273.15

FUNDAMENTAL CONSTANTS
Quantity electron charge Faraday constant gas constant gas constant gas constant gravitation - newtonian constant gravitation - newtonian constant gravity acceleration (standard) gravity acceleration (standard) molar volume (ideal gas), T = 273.15K, p = 101.3 kPa speed of light in vacuum Stephan-Boltzmann constant Symbol e F R R R R G G g g Vm c Value 1.6022 1019 96,485 8,314 8.314 1,545 0.08206 6.673 1011 6.673 1011 9.807 32.174 22,414 299,792,000 5.67 108 Units C (coulombs) coulombs/(mol) J/(kmolK) kPam3/(kmolK) ft-lbf/(lb mole-R) L-atm/(mole-K) m3/(kgs2) Nm2/kg2 m/s2 ft/sec2 L/kmol m/s W/(m2K4)
UNITS

metric metric USCS

metric USCS

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CONVERSION FACTORS
Multiply
acre ampere-hr (A-hr) ngstrm () atmosphere (atm) atm, std atm, std atm, std atm, std bar barrelsoil Btu Btu Btu Btu/hr Btu/hr Btu/hr calorie (g-cal) cal cal cal/sec centimeter (cm) cm centipoise (cP) centipoise (cP) centistokes (cSt) cubic feet/second (cfs) cubic foot (ft3) cubic meters (m3) electronvolt (eV) foot (ft) ft ft-pound (ft-lbf) ft-lbf ft-lbf ft-lbf ft-lbf/sec gallon (US Liq) gallon (US Liq) gallons of water gamma (, ) gauss gram (g) hectare hectare horsepower (hp) hp hp hp hp-hr hp-hr hp-hr hp-hr inch (in) in of Hg in of Hg in of H2O in of H2O

By
43,560 3,600 1 1010 76.0 29.92 14.70 33.90 1.013 105 1 105 42 1,055 2.928 104 778 3.930 104 0.293 0.216 3.968 103 1.560 106 4.186 4.184 3.281 102 0.394 0.001 1 1 106 0.646317 7.481 1,000 1.602 1019 30.48 0.3048 1.285 103 3.766 107 0.324 1.356 1.818 103 3.785 0.134 8.3453 1 109 1 104 2.205 103 1 104 2.47104 42.4 745.7 33,000 550 2,545 1.98 106 2.68 106 0.746 2.540 0.0334 13.60 0.0361 0.002458

To Obtain
square feet (ft ) coulomb (C) meter (m) cm, mercury (Hg) in, mercury (Hg) lbf/in2 abs (psia) ft, water pascal (Pa) Pa gallonsoil joule (J) kilowatt-hr (kWh) ft-lbf horsepower (hp) watt (W) ft-lbf/sec Btu hp-hr joule (J) watt (W) foot (ft) inch (in) pascalsec (Pas) g/(ms) m2/sec (m2/s) million gallons/day (mgd) gallon Liters joule (J) cm meter (m) Btu kilowatt-hr (kWh) calorie (g-cal) joule (J) horsepower (hp) liter (L) ft3 pounds of water tesla (T) T pound (lbm) square meters (m2) acres Btu/min watt (W) (ft-lbf)/min (ft-lbf)/sec Btu ft-lbf joule (J) kWh centimeter (cm) atm in of H2O lbf/in2 (psi) atm
2

Multiply
joule (J) J J J/s kilogram (kg) kgf kilometer (km) km/hr kilopascal (kPa) kilowatt (kW) kW kW kW-hour (kWh) kWh kWh kip (K) K liter (L) L L L/second (L/s) L/s meter (m) m metric ton m/second (m/s) mile (statute) mile (statute) mile/hour (mph) mph mm of Hg mm of H2O newton (N) newton (N) Nm Nm pascal (Pa) Pa Pasec (Pas) pound (lbm, avdp) lbf lbf-ft lbf/in2 (psi) psi psi psi radian stokes therm ton watt (W) W W weber/m2 (Wb/m2)

By
9.478 10 0.7376 1 1 2.205 9.8066 3,281 0.621 0.145 1.341 3,413 737.6 3,413 1.341 3.6 106 1,000 4,448 61.02 0.264 103 2.119 15.85 3.281 1.094 1,000 196.8 5,280 1.609 88.0 1.609 1.316 103 9.678 105 0.225 1 0.7376 1 9.869 106 1 10 0.454 4.448 1.356 0.068 2.307 2.036 6,895 180/ 1 104 1 105 2,000 3.413 1.341 103 1 10,000
4

To Obtain
Btu ft-lbf newtonm (Nm) watt (W) pound (lbm) newton (N) feet (ft) mph lbf/in2 (psi) horsepower (hp) Btu/hr (ft-lbf )/sec Btu hp-hr joule (J) lbf newton (N) in3 gal (US Liq) m3 ft3/min (cfm) gal (US)/min (gpm) feet (ft) yard kilogram (kg) feet/min (ft/min) feet (ft) kilometer (km) ft/min (fpm) km/h atm atm lbf kgm/s2 ft-lbf joule (J) atmosphere (atm) newton/m2 (N/m2) poise (P) kilogram (kg) N Nm atm ft of H2O in. of Hg Pa degree m2/s Btu pounds (lb) Btu/hr horsepower (hp) joule/s (J/s) gauss

20

CONVERSION FACTORS