Quick reference table
Common thermal resistance conversions
| From | To |
|---|---|
| 1 °C/W | 1 K/kW |
| 1 K/W | 0.5275279263 °F·h/BTU |
| 1 °F·h/BTU | 1.895634241 K/W |
| 1 °C·h/kcal | 0.8604206501 K/W |
How to convert thermal resistance
Thermal resistance tells how much a temperature difference builds up for each unit of heat flow. It is used for heat sinks, electronics cooling and building components.
Every thermal resistance unit is a fixed multiple of one base unit, the K/W. 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 °C/W to K/kW, multiply by 1. To go the other way, divide by 1.
The converter above does this for you and shows the exact formula under the result.
Worked examples
Degrees Celsius per watt to Kelvins per kilowatt
| Degrees Celsius per watt (°C/W) | Kelvins per kilowatt (K/kW) |
|---|---|
| 1 °C/W | 1 K/kW |
| 2 °C/W | 2 K/kW |
| 5 °C/W | 5 K/kW |
| 10 °C/W | 1 K/kW |
| 25 °C/W | 25 K/kW |
| 50 °C/W | 5 K/kW |
| 100 °C/W | 1 K/kW |
| 1,000 °C/W | 1 K/kW |
Kelvins per watt to Degrees Fahrenheit-hour per BTU
| Kelvins per watt (K/W) | Degrees Fahrenheit-hour per BTU (°F·h/BTU) |
|---|---|
| 1 K/W | 0.5275279263 °F·h/BTU |
| 2 K/W | 1.055055853 °F·h/BTU |
| 5 K/W | 2.637639632 °F·h/BTU |
| 10 K/W | 5.275279263 °F·h/BTU |
| 25 K/W | 13.18819816 °F·h/BTU |
| 50 K/W | 26.37639632 °F·h/BTU |
| 100 K/W | 52.75279263 °F·h/BTU |
| 1,000 K/W | 527.5279263 °F·h/BTU |
Thermal resistance units explained
| Unit | Symbol | Equals |
|---|---|---|
| Kelvins per watt | K/W | 1 K/W = 1 K/W |
| Degrees Celsius per watt | °C/W | 1 °C/W = 1 K/W |
| Kelvins per kilowatt | K/kW | 1 K/kW = 0.001 K/W |
| Millikelvins per watt | mK/W | 1 mK/W = 0.001 K/W |
| Degrees Fahrenheit-hour per BTU | °F·h/BTU | 1 °F·h/BTU = 1.89563424064 K/W |
| Degrees Celsius-hour per kilocalorie | °C·h/kcal | 1 °C·h/kcal = 0.860420650096 K/W |
| Kelvin-seconds per joule | K·s/J | 1 K·s/J = 1 K/W |
Popular conversions: c/w to k/w, thermal resistance units.
Frequently asked questions
Is °C/W the same as K/W?
Yes. A temperature difference of 1 °C equals 1 K, so the two units are identical.
How do I convert °C/W to K/kW?
Multiply the value in °C/W by 1 to get K/kW. For example, 10 °C/W = 1 K/kW.
How many K/kW is 1 °C/W?
1 °C/W = 1 K/kW, and 1 K/kW = 0.001 °C/W.
Does this thermal resistance converter work offline?
Yes. After the page has loaded once, all calculations run in your browser, so it keeps working without an internet connection.