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To convert from British thermal unit per second (Btu/s) to Megawatt (MW), use the following formula:
With is the ratio between the base units Watt (W) and Foot-pound per second (ft-lb/s).
Let's convert 5 British thermal unit per second (Btu/s) to Megawatt (MW).
Using the formula:
Therefore, 5 British thermal unit per second (Btu/s) is equal to Megawatt (MW).
Here are some quick reference conversions from British thermal unit per second (Btu/s) to Megawatt (MW):
| British thermal units per second | Megawatts |
|---|---|
| 0.000001 Btu/s | MW |
| 0.001 Btu/s | MW |
| 0.1 Btu/s | MW |
| 1 Btu/s | MW |
| 2 Btu/s | MW |
| 3 Btu/s | MW |
| 4 Btu/s | MW |
| 5 Btu/s | MW |
| 6 Btu/s | MW |
| 7 Btu/s | MW |
| 8 Btu/s | MW |
| 9 Btu/s | MW |
| 10 Btu/s | MW |
| 20 Btu/s | MW |
| 30 Btu/s | MW |
| 40 Btu/s | MW |
| 50 Btu/s | MW |
| 100 Btu/s | MW |
| 1000 Btu/s | MW |
| 10000 Btu/s | MW |
The British thermal unit per second (Btu/s) is a unit used to measure power in the imperial system of measurement.
Think of it as a way to quantify how much heat energy is being transferred in a single second. For context, one Btu/s is equal to about 778.17 foot-pounds per second (ft-lb/s).
The plural form is "British thermal units per second."
A common question is how Btu/s relates to the watt, which is the standard (SI) unit of power. The conversion is straightforward and very useful for comparing equipment specifications.
This conversion is essential for anyone needing to compare the power of different systems, especially when analyzing energy use or heat output.
You'll most often see Btu/s used in high-power industrial and scientific settings to measure the rate of heat energy transfer.
It's a key measurement for specifying the performance of powerful equipment, such as:
While you might see Btu/h (Btu per hour) used for your home's HVAC system or water heater, Btu/s provides a much more detailed, second-by-second measurement needed for these high-capacity industrial applications.
In engineering, Btu/s is also directly related to horsepower (hp), another common imperial unit of power.
This connection is vital for understanding the thermal efficiency of engines—in other words, how well an engine converts heat into mechanical work.
The relationship is:
This allows engineers to compare the heat an engine produces (in Btu/s) to the mechanical power it puts out (in horsepower).
A megawatt (MW) is a unit used to measure power.
It's equal to one million watts.
To put it simply, it's a way to describe a huge amount of electricity being used or generated at a single moment.
One megawatt (1 MW) can power between 750 and 1,000 homes at any given moment.
This number can change depending on what's running in each home (like air conditioning on a hot day).
It's a helpful estimate used by grid operators to understand how much electricity a community needs.
It's easy to mix up megawatts (MW) and megawatt-hours (MWh). Here's a simple way to understand the difference between MW vs. MWh:
So, a power plant has a capacity measured in MW (how much electricity it can make at once).
In contrast, your electricity bill shows your consumption in MWh (how much you actually used over a month).
A megawatt is a tremendous amount of power. To understand its scale, here's a look at the capacity of different power sources: