Foot-pounds per second (ft-lb/s) to Milliwatts (mW) conversion

Foot-pounds per second to Milliwatts conversion table

Foot-pounds per second (ft-lb/s)Milliwatts (mW)
00
11355.8179488411
22711.6358976822
34067.4538465232
45423.2717953643
56779.0897442054
68134.9076930465
79490.7256418876
810846.543590729
912202.36153957
1013558.179488411
2027116.358976822
3040674.538465232
4054232.717953643
5067790.897442054
6081349.076930465
7094907.256418876
80108465.43590729
90122023.6153957
100135581.79488411
10001355817.9488411

How to convert foot-pounds per second to milliwatts?

Converting between foot-pounds per second and milliwatts involves understanding the relationship between these two units of power and applying the appropriate conversion factors. This conversion is useful in various fields, especially when dealing with mechanical and electrical power.

Understanding the Conversion

Foot-pounds per second (ft⋅lb/s) is a unit of power in the imperial system, representing the amount of work done per unit time. Milliwatts (mW) are a unit of power in the metric system, equal to one-thousandth of a watt.

The key to converting between these units is knowing the conversion factor:

1 ft⋅lb/s=1.35582 W1 \text{ ft⋅lb/s} = 1.35582 \text{ W}

Since 1 W=1000 mW1 \text{ W} = 1000 \text{ mW}, we can further state:

1 ft⋅lb/s=1355.82 mW1 \text{ ft⋅lb/s} = 1355.82 \text{ mW}

Converting Foot-Pounds per Second to Milliwatts

To convert foot-pounds per second to milliwatts, multiply the value in ft⋅lb/s by 1355.82.

Formula:

Power in mW=Power in ft⋅lb/s×1355.82\text{Power in mW} = \text{Power in ft⋅lb/s} \times 1355.82

Example:

Convert 1 ft⋅lb/s to mW:

1 ft⋅lb/s×1355.82=1355.82 mW1 \text{ ft⋅lb/s} \times 1355.82 = 1355.82 \text{ mW}

Converting Milliwatts to Foot-Pounds per Second

To convert milliwatts to foot-pounds per second, divide the value in mW by 1355.82.

Formula:

Power in ft⋅lb/s=Power in mW1355.82\text{Power in ft⋅lb/s} = \frac{\text{Power in mW}}{1355.82}

Example:

Convert 1 mW to ft⋅lb/s:

1 mW1355.82=0.0007376 ft⋅lb/s\frac{1 \text{ mW}}{1355.82} = 0.0007376 \text{ ft⋅lb/s}

Historical Context and Notable Figures

The concepts of work, energy, and power were formalized in the 19th century by scientists and engineers such as James Watt. James Watt, a Scottish inventor and mechanical engineer, significantly improved the design of the steam engine. His work led to the adoption of the "horsepower" unit, which is related to foot-pounds per second. While Watt didn't directly define the foot-pound per second, his contributions to understanding power paved the way for its use and standardization. Watt's biography on Wikipedia offers additional details on his impact.

Real-World Examples

  1. Small Electric Motors: The power of small motors, such as those used in toys or hobby electronics, can be rated in milliwatts. If you're designing a mechanical system driven by such a motor, you might want to know the equivalent power in foot-pounds per second to understand its lifting or driving capacity.

  2. Mechanical Systems: Consider a simple mechanical system, like a small winch lifting a weight. If you measure the power required to lift that weight in foot-pounds per second, you can convert it to milliwatts to compare it to the power output of a small electric motor that might drive the winch.

  3. Thermal Management: Power dissipated as heat in electronic devices is often measured in milliwatts. Understanding its equivalent in foot-pounds per second can be useful in designing cooling systems, especially when considering mechanical means of heat dissipation (e.g., airflow).

See below section for step by step unit conversion with formulas and explanations. Please refer to the table below for a list of all the Milliwatts to other unit conversions.

What is foot-pounds per second?

Foot-pounds per second is a unit of power, commonly used in mechanical engineering and physics, especially in the United States. It represents the amount of work done (in foot-pounds) per unit of time (in seconds). Let's break it down.

Definition of Foot-Pounds per Second

Foot-pounds per second (ft⋅lb/s) is a unit of power that expresses the rate at which work is performed. One foot-pound is the amount of energy required to raise a one-pound object a distance of one foot against gravity. Therefore, foot-pounds per second tell you how quickly that work is being done.

Understanding the Components

  • Foot-pound (ft⋅lb): This is a unit of energy or work. It's calculated as the force in pounds multiplied by the distance in feet.

    Work (ft⋅lb)=Force (lb)×Distance (ft)\text{Work (ft⋅lb)} = \text{Force (lb)} \times \text{Distance (ft)}

  • Second (s): This is the unit of time.

Combining these gives you:

Power (ft⋅lb/s)=Work (ft⋅lb)Time (s)\text{Power (ft⋅lb/s)} = \frac{\text{Work (ft⋅lb)}}{\text{Time (s)}}

Conversion to Other Units

Foot-pounds per second can be converted to other common units of power:

  • Watts (W): The standard SI unit of power.

    1 ft⋅lb/s1.35582 W1 \text{ ft⋅lb/s} \approx 1.35582 \text{ W}

  • Horsepower (hp): A common unit of power, especially for engines.

    1 hp=550 ft⋅lb/s1 \text{ hp} = 550 \text{ ft⋅lb/s}

    Therefore:

    1 ft⋅lb/s0.001818 hp1 \text{ ft⋅lb/s} \approx 0.001818 \text{ hp}

Historical Context

While there isn't a specific "law" tied directly to foot-pounds per second, the concept of power and its measurement is closely related to the work of James Watt. He improved the steam engine, and horsepower was originally defined to compare the power of steam engines to that of horses. While horsepower is more commonly associated with Watt, foot-pounds per second provides a more granular and fundamental way to express power.

Real-World Examples

  • Lifting Objects: A motor lifting a 100-pound object 5 feet in 2 seconds is doing work at a rate of:

    Power=100 lb×5 ft2 s=250 ft⋅lb/s\text{Power} = \frac{100 \text{ lb} \times 5 \text{ ft}}{2 \text{ s}} = 250 \text{ ft⋅lb/s}

  • Pumping Water: A pump lifting water 20 feet at a rate of 10 pounds per second is performing work at a rate of:

    Power=10 lb/s×20 ft=200 ft⋅lb/s\text{Power} = 10 \text{ lb/s} \times 20 \text{ ft} = 200 \text{ ft⋅lb/s}

  • Small Electric Motors: Many small electric motors are rated in terms of horsepower or watts, but you can convert those ratings to foot-pounds per second to understand the rate at which they can perform work. For example, a motor rated at 1/4 horsepower is approximately 137.5 ft⋅lb/s.

Importance

Foot-pounds per second are valuable for calculating the rate at which machines perform work, enabling engineers to design and analyze mechanical systems. Understanding this unit provides a fundamental grasp of power and its relationship to work and time.

What is Milliwatts?

Milliwatts are a unit of power, commonly used to measure small amounts of electrical or other forms of power. Understanding milliwatts helps in various applications from electronics to radio communication.

Milliwatts Defined

A milliwatt (mW) is a unit of power in the International System of Units (SI). It is equal to one-thousandth (1/1000) of a watt. Since a watt is a joule per second, a milliwatt represents 0.001 joules of energy being converted or consumed per second.

Mathematically:

1mW=11000W=0.001W1 mW = \frac{1}{1000} W = 0.001 W

How Milliwatts Are Formed

The term "milliwatt" is derived from the SI prefix "milli-", which denotes a factor of 10310^{-3} or 1/1000, combined with the unit of power, the watt (W). The watt, in turn, is named after James Watt, a Scottish inventor and mechanical engineer known for his improvements to the steam engine.

Real-World Examples of Milliwatts

Milliwatts are commonly encountered in situations involving low power consumption:

  • Small Electronic Devices: Many portable electronic devices like headphones, smartwatches, and sensors operate in the milliwatt range to conserve battery life.
  • Laser Pointers: The output power of laser pointers is often limited to a few milliwatts to ensure safety.
  • Radio Transmitters: Low-power radio transmitters, such as those used in wireless sensor networks or short-range communication devices, may have output powers measured in milliwatts.
  • Hearing Aids: Hearing aids consume very little power, typically measured in milliwatts.
  • Medical Devices: Certain medical devices, like implanted sensors, use milliwatts of power for operation.

Power Calculations & Conversions

Understanding the relationship between milliwatts, volts, and amps is crucial in electronics. Power (P) in watts can be calculated using the following formulas:

  • P=VIP = VI (where V is voltage in volts and I is current in amperes)
  • P=I2RP = I^2R (where I is current in amperes and R is resistance in ohms)
  • P=V2RP = \frac{V^2}{R} (where V is voltage in volts and R is resistance in ohms)

To convert from watts to milliwatts, multiply by 1000. To convert from milliwatts to watts, divide by 1000.

For example, if a device operates at 5 volts and draws 0.1 amperes of current, the power consumption is:

P=5V0.1A=0.5W=500mWP = 5V * 0.1A = 0.5 W = 500 mW

James Watt and the Development of Power Measurement

While milliwatts are a modern unit, they're directly related to the watt, named after James Watt. Watt's improvements to the steam engine were pivotal in the Industrial Revolution. He also developed the concept of horsepower as a unit of power, which later led to the standardization of the watt as the SI unit of power.

Read more about James Watt and the History of the Watt in britannica

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Complete Foot-pounds per second conversion table

Enter # of Foot-pounds per second
Convert 1 ft-lb/s to other unitsResult
Foot-pounds per second to Watts (ft-lb/s to W)1.3558179488411
Foot-pounds per second to Milliwatts (ft-lb/s to mW)1355.8179488411
Foot-pounds per second to Kilowatts (ft-lb/s to kW)0.001355817948841
Foot-pounds per second to Megawatts (ft-lb/s to MW)0.000001355817948841
Foot-pounds per second to Gigawatts (ft-lb/s to GW)1.3558179488411e-9
Foot-pounds per second to Horsepower (metric) (ft-lb/s to PS)0.001843399392373
Foot-pounds per second to British thermal units per second (ft-lb/s to Btu/s)0.001285067285545
Foot-pounds per second to Horsepower (British) (ft-lb/s to hp)0.001818181818182