Quick reference table
Common thermal conductivity conversions
| From | To |
|---|---|
| 1 BTU/(h·ft·°F) | 1.730734666 W/(m·K) |
| 1 W/(m·K) | 0.5777893165 BTU/(h·ft·°F) |
| 1 BTU·in/(h·ft²·°F) | 0.1442278889 W/(m·K) |
| 1 kcal/(h·m·°C) | 1.162222222 W/(m·K) |
How to convert thermal conductivity
Thermal conductivity tells how well a material conducts heat. Insulation is rated by a low value; metals have high values.
Every thermal conductivity unit is a fixed multiple of one base unit, the W/(m·K). To convert a value, multiply it by the size of the starting unit and divide by the size of the target unit. For example, to convert BTU/(h·ft·°F) to W/(m·K), multiply by 1.730734666. To go the other way, divide by 1.730734666.
The converter above does this for you and shows the exact formula under the result.
Worked examples
BTU per hour-foot-degree F to Watts per meter-kelvin
| BTU per hour-foot-degree F (BTU/(h·ft·°F)) | Watts per meter-kelvin (W/(m·K)) |
|---|---|
| 1 BTU/(h·ft·°F) | 1.730734666 W/(m·K) |
| 2 BTU/(h·ft·°F) | 3.461469333 W/(m·K) |
| 5 BTU/(h·ft·°F) | 8.653673332 W/(m·K) |
| 10 BTU/(h·ft·°F) | 17.30734666 W/(m·K) |
| 25 BTU/(h·ft·°F) | 43.26836666 W/(m·K) |
| 50 BTU/(h·ft·°F) | 86.53673332 W/(m·K) |
| 100 BTU/(h·ft·°F) | 173.0734666 W/(m·K) |
| 1,000 BTU/(h·ft·°F) | 1,730.734666 W/(m·K) |
Watts per meter-kelvin to BTU per hour-foot-degree F
| Watts per meter-kelvin (W/(m·K)) | BTU per hour-foot-degree F (BTU/(h·ft·°F)) |
|---|---|
| 1 W/(m·K) | 0.5777893165 BTU/(h·ft·°F) |
| 2 W/(m·K) | 1.155578633 BTU/(h·ft·°F) |
| 5 W/(m·K) | 2.888946583 BTU/(h·ft·°F) |
| 10 W/(m·K) | 5.777893165 BTU/(h·ft·°F) |
| 25 W/(m·K) | 14.44473291 BTU/(h·ft·°F) |
| 50 W/(m·K) | 28.88946583 BTU/(h·ft·°F) |
| 100 W/(m·K) | 57.77893165 BTU/(h·ft·°F) |
| 1,000 W/(m·K) | 577.7893165 BTU/(h·ft·°F) |
Thermal conductivity units explained
| Unit | Symbol | Equals |
|---|---|---|
| Watts per meter-kelvin | W/(m·K) | 1 W/(m·K) = 1 W/(m·K) |
| Kilowatts per meter-kelvin | kW/(m·K) | 1 kW/(m·K) = 1,000 W/(m·K) |
| Watts per centimeter-kelvin | W/(cm·K) | 1 W/(cm·K) = 100 W/(m·K) |
| Calories per second-centimeter-degree | cal/(s·cm·°C) | 1 cal/(s·cm·°C) = 418.4 W/(m·K) |
| Kilocalories per hour-meter-degree | kcal/(h·m·°C) | 1 kcal/(h·m·°C) = 1.16222222222 W/(m·K) |
| BTU per hour-foot-degree F | BTU/(h·ft·°F) | 1 BTU/(h·ft·°F) = 1.7307346665 W/(m·K) |
| BTU-inch per hour-square foot-degree F | BTU·in/(h·ft²·°F) | 1 BTU·in/(h·ft²·°F) = 0.1442278889 W/(m·K) |
Popular conversions: btu in to w/mk, thermal conductivity conversion.
Frequently asked questions
What is a typical thermal conductivity?
Copper is about 400 W/(m·K), glass about 1, water about 0.6 and still air about 0.026.
How do I convert BTU/(h·ft·°F) to W/(m·K)?
Multiply the value in BTU/(h·ft·°F) by 1.730734666 to get W/(m·K). For example, 10 BTU/(h·ft·°F) = 17.30734666 W/(m·K).
How many W/(m·K) is 1 BTU/(h·ft·°F)?
1 BTU/(h·ft·°F) = 1.730734666 W/(m·K), and 1 W/(m·K) = 0.5777893165 BTU/(h·ft·°F).
Does this thermal conductivity converter work offline?
Yes. After the page has loaded once, all calculations run in your browser, so it keeps working without an internet connection.