Kilowatts (kW) to Watts (W) conversion

Kilowatts to Watts conversion table

Kilowatts (kW)Watts (W)
00
11000
22000
33000
44000
55000
66000
77000
88000
99000
1010000
2020000
3030000
4040000
5050000
6060000
7070000
8080000
9090000
100100000
10001000000

How to convert kilowatts to watts?

Converting between Kilowatts (kW) and Watts (W) is a common task in electrical engineering and everyday life. Understanding the relationship between these units is crucial for managing power consumption and ensuring electrical safety.

Understanding Kilowatts and Watts

Watts (W) and Kilowatts (kW) are both units of power, which is the rate at which energy is transferred or converted. The watt is the base unit of power in the International System of Units (SI). A kilowatt is simply a multiple of a watt.

The key relationship is:

1 kilowatt (kW)=1000 watts (W)1 \text{ kilowatt (kW)} = 1000 \text{ watts (W)}

This means that a kilowatt is equal to one thousand watts.

Converting Kilowatts to Watts

To convert kilowatts to watts, you multiply the number of kilowatts by 1000.

Formula:

Watts (W)=Kilowatts (kW)×1000\text{Watts (W)} = \text{Kilowatts (kW)} \times 1000

Example: Converting 1 kW to Watts:

1 kW=1×1000 W=1000 W1 \text{ kW} = 1 \times 1000 \text{ W} = 1000 \text{ W}

So, 1 kilowatt is equal to 1000 watts.

Converting Watts to Kilowatts

To convert watts to kilowatts, you divide the number of watts by 1000.

Formula:

Kilowatts (kW)=Watts (W)1000\text{Kilowatts (kW)} = \frac{\text{Watts (W)}}{1000}

Example: Converting 1 W to Kilowatts:

1 W=11000 kW=0.001 kW1 \text{ W} = \frac{1}{1000} \text{ kW} = 0.001 \text{ kW}

So, 1 watt is equal to 0.001 kilowatts.

Interesting Facts and Laws

  • James Watt: The watt is named after James Watt, a Scottish inventor and mechanical engineer, who is renowned for his improvements to the steam engine. His work was crucial to the Industrial Revolution.
  • Power and Energy: Power (measured in watts or kilowatts) is the rate at which energy is used or generated. Energy itself is often measured in kilowatt-hours (kWh), which represents the amount of energy used by a 1 kW device operating for 1 hour.

Real-World Examples

  1. Electric Heater: A typical electric heater might consume 1.5 kW. This is equal to 1500 W.
  2. Microwave Oven: A microwave oven may use 800 W, which is 0.8 kW.
  3. Light Bulb: An energy-efficient LED light bulb might use 10 W, which is 0.01 kW. An older incandescent bulb might use 60W, which is 0.06 kW.
  4. Electric Vehicle Charging: A Level 2 EV charger might provide 7.2 kW of power, which is 7200 W.

Additional Examples

To provide a broader understanding, here are a few more conversion examples:

  • Example 1: Convert 2.5 kW to Watts

    2.5 kW×1000=2500 W2.5 \text{ kW} \times 1000 = 2500 \text{ W}

  • Example 2: Convert 500 Watts to Kilowatts

    500 W1000=0.5 kW\frac{500 \text{ W}}{1000} = 0.5 \text{ kW}

  • Example 3: Convert 0.1 kW to Watts

    0.1 kW×1000=100 W0.1 \text{ kW} \times 1000 = 100 \text{ W}

  • Example 4: Convert 1500 Watts to Kilowatts

    1500 W1000=1.5 kW\frac{1500 \text{ W}}{1000} = 1.5 \text{ kW}

Understanding these conversions allows for easy interpretation of power ratings and consumption in various devices and applications.

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 Watts to other unit conversions.

What is kilowatts?

Let's explore the concept of kilowatts, a crucial unit for understanding power in various applications.

Understanding Kilowatts (kW)

A kilowatt (kW) is a unit of power in the International System of Units (SI). It represents 1,000 watts. Power, in physics, is the rate at which energy is transferred, used, or transformed. One watt (W) is defined as one joule per second (1 J/s). Therefore, one kilowatt is 1,000 joules per second.

1kW=1000W=1000Js1 kW = 1000 W = 1000 \frac{J}{s}

Formation of Kilowatts

The term "kilowatt" is formed by adding the prefix "kilo-" to the unit "watt." "Kilo-" is a standard prefix in the metric system that denotes a factor of 1,000.

  • Watt (W): The base unit of power, named after James Watt.
  • Kilo (k): Prefix meaning 1,000.

Thus, a kilowatt is simply 1,000 watts. This makes it easier to express larger amounts of power in a concise and manageable way.

Kilowatts and James Watt

As mentioned above Watt (W) is named after James Watt, a Scottish inventor and mechanical engineer whose improvements to the steam engine were fundamental to the changes brought by the Industrial Revolution. While the kilowatt is a derived unit (1000 watts), it's directly linked to the base unit named in his honor. Watt's work on steam engines significantly contributed to our understanding and utilization of power.

Real-World Examples of Kilowatt Usage

Kilowatts are commonly used to measure the power consumption of various appliances and systems:

  • Electric Heaters: A typical electric heater might use between 1 kW and 3 kW.
  • Air Conditioners: A window air conditioner could use around 1 kW, while a central air conditioning system might use 3 kW to 5 kW or more.
  • Ovens: An electric oven can draw between 2 kW and 5 kW when in use.
  • Electric Vehicles (EVs): The power output of an EV motor is often expressed in kilowatts (e.g., 150 kW). The charging rate of an EV is also measured in kilowatts. A Level 2 charger might deliver 7 kW, while a DC fast charger could provide 50 kW or more.
  • Solar Panels: The power output of solar panels is typically rated in kilowatts. For example, a residential solar panel system might have a capacity of 5 kW to 10 kW.

Kilowatt-hour (kWh)

It's essential to differentiate between kilowatts (kW) and kilowatt-hours (kWh). Kilowatts measure power (the rate of energy use), while kilowatt-hours measure energy (the total amount of energy used over time). One kWh is the amount of energy used by a 1 kW device operating for one hour. Utility companies typically bill for energy usage in kWh.

Energy(kWh)=Power(kW)Time(hours)Energy (kWh) = Power (kW) * Time (hours)

For a deeper dive, consider exploring resources like Electrical units for detailed explanations of electrical units.

What is Watts?

Watts are the standard unit of power in the International System of Units (SI). Power, in physics, is the rate at which energy is transferred, used, or transformed. Therefore, a watt measures how quickly energy is being used or generated. It's a crucial unit for understanding electrical circuits, energy consumption, and various physical processes.

Definition and Formula

One watt is defined as one joule per second. In other words, if one joule of energy is used or produced in one second, that's a power of one watt. The formula for calculating power in watts is:

P=EtP = \frac{E}{t}

Where:

  • PP is power in watts (W)
  • EE is energy in joules (J)
  • tt is time in seconds (s)

In electrical circuits, power can also be calculated using voltage and current:

P=VIP = V \cdot I

Where:

  • PP is power in watts (W)
  • VV is voltage in volts (V)
  • II is current in amperes (A)

James Watt and the History of the Unit

The watt is named after James Watt, a Scottish inventor and mechanical engineer who significantly improved the efficiency of steam engines in the late 18th century. His innovations were crucial to the Industrial Revolution. The unit "watt" was adopted in 1882 as a tribute to his contributions to the development of power and energy technologies.

Real-World Examples of Wattage

  • Light Bulbs: Traditional incandescent light bulbs are often rated in watts (e.g., 60W, 100W). These numbers indicate how much electrical power the bulb consumes. LED bulbs, being more energy-efficient, produce the same amount of light with much lower wattage.

  • Household Appliances: Microwave ovens (e.g., 1000W), refrigerators, and washing machines all have wattage ratings. This rating tells you how much power they draw from the electrical supply when in use.

  • Electric Motors: The power of electric motors, such as those in power tools or electric vehicles, is often measured in watts or kilowatts (1 kW = 1000 W).

  • Human Power: A healthy human can sustain about 75 watts of power output for an extended period. Athletes, during short bursts of extreme exertion, can generate over 1000 watts.

Interesting Facts

  • Kilowatt-hour (kWh): Utility companies typically bill consumers based on kilowatt-hours (kWh), which represents the amount of energy used over time. One kWh is equal to 3.6 million joules. A 100-watt light bulb left on for 10 hours consumes 1 kWh of energy.

  • Power vs. Energy: Power (watts) is the rate at which energy is used, while energy (joules or kWh) is the total amount of energy consumed over a period of time.

  • Power Factor: In AC circuits, power factor is the ratio of real power (watts) to apparent power (volt-amperes). It indicates how effectively electrical power is being used. A power factor of 1 means that all the power is being used effectively, while a power factor less than 1 indicates that some of the power is being wasted. Learn more at Fluke's guide to power factor.

Complete Kilowatts conversion table

Enter # of Kilowatts
Convert 1 kW to other unitsResult
Kilowatts to Watts (kW to W)1000
Kilowatts to Milliwatts (kW to mW)1000000
Kilowatts to Megawatts (kW to MW)0.001
Kilowatts to Gigawatts (kW to GW)0.000001
Kilowatts to Horsepower (metric) (kW to PS)1.3596216173039
Kilowatts to British thermal units per second (kW to Btu/s)0.947816988736
Kilowatts to Foot-pounds per second (kW to ft-lb/s)737.562149
Kilowatts to Horsepower (British) (kW to hp)1.3410220890909