Power Converter
Watt
Definition: The watt (symbol: W) is the SI unit of power, defined as one joule of energy per second. It measures the rate of energy transfer or conversion.
History/origin: Named in honor of the Scottish inventor James Watt for his contributions to the development of the steam engine. It was adopted by the Second Congress of the British Association for the Advancement of Science in 1889.
Current use: The watt is used globally to measure the power of household appliances (like light bulbs and vacuum cleaners) and the output of electronic devices.
Horsepower
Definition: Horsepower (hp) is a unit of measurement of power, or the rate at which work is done. Mechanical horsepower is defined as 33,000 foot-pounds of work per minute.
History/origin: Created by James Watt in the 1780s to market his improved steam engine to people who were used to using horses for heavy work. He calculated that a pony could pull 22,000 ft-lb/min and increased it by 50% for a horse.
Current use: Horsepower is still the most popular unit for measuring the output of internal combustion engines in cars, motorcycles, and motorboats, especially in the US and UK.
Watt to Horsepower Conversion Table
| Watt [w] | Horsepower [hp] |
|---|---|
| 0.01 w | 0.00001341 hp |
| 0.1 w | 0.0001341 hp |
| 1 w | 0.00134102 hp |
| 2 w | 0.00268204 hp |
| 3 w | 0.00402307 hp |
| 5 w | 0.00670511 hp |
| 10 w | 0.01341022 hp |
| 20 w | 0.02682044 hp |
| 50 w | 0.0670511 hp |
| 100 w | 0.13410221 hp |
| 1000 w | 1.34102209 hp |
How to Convert Watt to Horsepower
1 w = 0.00134102 hp
1 hp = 745.699872 w
Example: convert 15 w to hp:
15 w = 15 × 0.00134102 hp = 0.02011533 hp
Did You Know?
- The Watt is named after James Watt, but ironically, he never used "Watts" to measure power during his lifetime; he primarily used horsepower!
- Did you know? The term "Horsepower" was coined by James Watt to compare the output of steam engines with the power of draft horses. One mechanical horsepower is about 746 Watts.