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.
Kilowatt
Definition: A kilowatt (symbol: kW) is a multiple of the watt, equal to one thousand (1,000) watts.
History/origin: As electrical systems grew in scale, the kilowatt became a more practical unit for expressing the power consumption of buildings and the output of small engines.
Current use: Kilowatts are the standard unit for expressing the power of car engines (alongside HP) and for measuring electrical demand on utility bills.
Watt to Kilowatt Conversion Table
| Watt [w] | Kilowatt [kw] |
|---|---|
| 0.01 w | 0.00001 kw |
| 0.1 w | 0.0001 kw |
| 1 w | 0.001 kw |
| 2 w | 0.002 kw |
| 3 w | 0.003 kw |
| 5 w | 0.005 kw |
| 10 w | 0.01 kw |
| 20 w | 0.02 kw |
| 50 w | 0.05 kw |
| 100 w | 0.1 kw |
| 1000 w | 1 kw |
How to Convert Watt to Kilowatt
1 w = 0.001 kw
1 kw = 1000 w
Example: convert 15 w to kw:
15 w = 15 × 0.001 kw = 0.015 kw
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!
- Electric vehicles (EVs) often have their engine power rated in Kilowatts (kW) instead of Horsepower, as it is a more precise metric for electric motors.