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
