What is Thermal Conductivity?
Thermal conductivity is a measure of a material’s ability to conduct heat. It tells how well a substance conducts heat through a medium. In other words, it indicates how quickly heat energy can move through a material when there is a temperature difference across it.
Thermal conductivity is typically denoted by the symbol \(k\) (kappa) and is measured in units of watts per meter per Kelvin \(\frac{W}{m.K}\). This means it measures the amount of heat (in watts) that can move through a material of a given thickness (in meters) per unit of temperature difference (in Kelvin).
There are other units which are mostly used in this context are:
- In British Imperial units, thermal conductivity can be measured in British thermal units per hour per foot per degree Fahrenheit (𝐵𝑡𝑢/(ℎ𝑟⋅𝑓𝑡⋅°𝐹)).
- In the CGS (centimeter-gram-second) system, it’s measured in calories per second per centimeter per degree Celsius (𝑐𝑎𝑙/(𝑠⋅𝑐𝑚⋅°𝐶)).
- In the SI system, the primary unit is watts per meter per Kelvin (𝑊/(𝑚⋅𝐾)).
Related: Heat Transfer through Conduction Calculator
Thermal Conductivity Unit Conversion Calculator
This Thermal Conductivity Unit Converter is capable of solving units from different measurement systems, the International System of Units (SI), the Centimeter-Gram-Second (CGS) system, and the British Imperial system.
Related: Heat Transfer Calculators for Chemical Engineering
Related: Fluid Mechanics Calculators for Chemical Engineering
How to Convert Thermal Conductivity Units
To convert the thermal conductivity unit, it is required to select the suitable input unit from the tables given below and then multiplying it with the given conversion factor.
\[ 1 \, \frac{\text{W}}{\text{m} \cdot \text{K}} = 0.002388 \, \frac{\text{calorie (IT)}}{\text{second} \cdot \text{cm} \cdot ^\circ \text{C}} \]
\[ 1 \, \frac{\text{calorie (IT)}}{\text{second} \cdot \text{cm} \cdot ^\circ \text{C}} = 418.6800 \, \frac{\text{W}}{\text{m} \cdot \text{K}} \]
Example Conversion:
To convert \(15 \, \frac{\text{W}}{\text{m} \cdot \text{K}}\) to \(\frac{\text{calorie (IT)}}{\text{second} \cdot \text{cm} \cdot ^\circ \text{C}}\):
\( 15 \, \frac{\text{W}}{\text{m} \cdot \text{K}} = 15 \times 0.002388 \, \frac{\text{calorie (IT)}}{\text{second} \cdot \text{cm} \cdot ^\circ \text{C}} \)
\( = 0.035827 \, \frac{\text{calorie (IT)}}{\text{second} \cdot \text{cm} \cdot ^\circ \text{C}} \)
Thus, \( 15 \, \frac{\text{W}}{\text{m} \cdot \text{K}} = 0.035827 \, \frac{\text{calorie (IT)}}{\text{second} \cdot \text{cm} \cdot ^\circ \text{C}} \)
Thermal Conductivity Conversions
We have provided the table for Thermal Conductivity Conversion for unit conversion. User can solve various units such as Watt/meter/Kelvin (W/(mK)), Watt/centimeter/°C (W/(cm°C)), Kilowatt/meter/Kelvin (kW/(mK)), Calorie (IT)/second/centimeter/°C (cal/(scm°C)), Kilocalorie (IT)/hour/meter/°C (kcal/(hm°C)), Btu (IT)/inch/second/square foot/°F (Btu/(insft°F)), Btu (IT)/foot/hour/square foot/°F (Btu/(fthft°F)), and Btu (IT)/inch/hour/square foot/°F (Btu/(inhft°F)).
Thermal Conductivity Conversions
Conversion from W/(m*K) (Watt/meter/Kelvin)
| To Unit | Conversion Factor |
|---|---|
| W/(m*K) (Watt/meter/Kelvin) | 1.000000 |
| W/(cm*°C) (Watt/centimeter/°C) | 0.010000 |
| kW/(m*K) (Kilowatt/meter/Kelvin) | 0.000100 |
| cal/(scm°C) (Calorie (IT)/second/centimeter/°C) | 0.002388 |
| kcal/(hm°C) (Kilocalorie (IT)/hour/meter/°C) | 0.859845 |
| Btu/(insft*°F) (Btu (IT)/inch/second/square foot/°F) | 0.001926 |
| Btu/(fthft*°F) (Btu (IT)/foot/hour/square foot/°F) | 0.577789 |
| Btu/(inhft*°F) (Btu (IT)/inch/hour/square foot/°F) | 6.933472 |
Conversion from W/(cm*°C) (Watt/centimeter/°C)
| To Unit | Conversion Factor |
|---|---|
| W/(m*K) (Watt/meter/Kelvin) | 100.000000 |
| W/(cm*°C) (Watt/centimeter/°C) | 1.000000 |
| kW/(m*K) (Kilowatt/meter/Kelvin) | 0.010000 |
| cal/(scm°C) (Calorie (IT)/second/centimeter/°C) | 0.238846 |
| kcal/(hm°C) (Kilocalorie (IT)/hour/meter/°C) | 85.984523 |
| Btu/(insft*°F) (Btu (IT)/inch/second/square foot/°F) | 0.192596 |
| Btu/(fthft*°F) (Btu (IT)/foot/hour/square foot/°F) | 57.778932 |
| Btu/(inhft*°F) (Btu (IT)/inch/hour/square foot/°F) | 693.347180 |
Conversion from kW/(m*K) (Kilowatt/meter/Kelvin)
| To Unit | Conversion Factor |
|---|---|
| W/(m*K) (Watt/meter/Kelvin) | 1000.000000 |
| W/(cm*°C) (Watt/centimeter/°C) | 10.000000 |
| kW/(m*K) (Kilowatt/meter/Kelvin) | 1.000000 |
| cal/(scm°C) (Calorie (IT)/second/centimeter/°C) | 2.388459 |
| kcal/(hm°C) (Kilocalorie (IT)/hour/meter/°C) | 859.845228 |
| Btu/(insft*°F) (Btu (IT)/inch/second/square foot/°F) | 1.925964 |
| Btu/(fthft*°F) (Btu (IT)/foot/hour/square foot/°F) | 577.789317 |
| Btu/(inhft*°F) (Btu (IT)/inch/hour/square foot/°F) | 6933.471799 |
Conversion from cal/(scm°C) (Calorie (IT)/second/centimeter/°C)
| To Unit | Conversion Factor |
|---|---|
| W/(m*K) (Watt/meter/Kelvin) | 418.679994 |
| W/(cm*°C) (Watt/centimeter/°C) | 4.186800 |
| kW/(m*K) (Kilowatt/meter/Kelvin) | 0.041868 |
| cal/(scm°C) (Calorie (IT)/second/centimeter/°C) | 1.000000 |
| kcal/(hm°C) (Kilocalorie (IT)/hour/meter/°C) | 359.999995 |
| Btu/(insft*°F) (Btu (IT)/inch/second/square foot/°F) | 0.806363 |
| Btu/(fthft*°F) (Btu (IT)/foot/hour/square foot/°F) | 241.908828 |
| Btu/(inhft*°F) (Btu (IT)/inch/hour/square foot/°F) | 2902.905932 |
Conversion from kcal/(hm°C) (Kilocalorie (IT)/hour/meter/°C)
| To Unit | Conversion Factor |
|---|---|
| W/(m*K) (Watt/meter/Kelvin) | 1.163000 |
| W/(cm*°C) (Watt/centimeter/°C) | 0.011630 |
| kW/(m*K) (Kilowatt/meter/Kelvin) | 0.000116 |
| cal/(scm°C) (Calorie (IT)/second/centimeter/°C) | 0.002778 |
| kcal/(hm°C) (Kilocalorie (IT)/hour/meter/°C) | 1.000000 |
| Btu/(insft*°F) (Btu (IT)/inch/second/square foot/°F) | 0.002240 |
| Btu/(fthft*°F) (Btu (IT)/foot/hour/square foot/°F) | 0.671969 |
| Btu/(inhft*°F) (Btu (IT)/inch/hour/square foot/°F) | 8.063628 |
Conversion from Btu/(insft*°F) (Btu (IT)/inch/second/square foot/°F)
| To Unit | Conversion Factor |
|---|---|
| W/(m*K) (Watt/meter/Kelvin) | 519.220505 |
| W/(cm*°C) (Watt/centimeter/°C) | 5.192205 |
| kW/(m*K) (Kilowatt/meter/Kelvin) | 0.051922 |
| cal/(scm°C) (Calorie (IT)/second/centimeter/°C) | 1.240137 |
| kcal/(hm°C) (Kilocalorie (IT)/hour/meter/°C) | 446.449273 |
| Btu/(insft*°F) (Btu (IT)/inch/second/square foot/°F) | 1.000000 |
| Btu/(fthft*°F) (Btu (IT)/foot/hour/square foot/°F) | 300.000061 |
| Btu/(inhft*°F) (Btu (IT)/inch/hour/square foot/°F) | 3600.000726 |
Conversion from Btu/(fthft*°F) (Btu (IT)/foot/hour/square foot/°F)
| To Unit | Conversion Factor |
|---|---|
| W/(m*K) (Watt/meter/Kelvin) | 1.730735 |
| W/(cm*°C) (Watt/centimeter/°C) | 0.017307 |
| kW/(m*K) (Kilowatt/meter/Kelvin) | 0.000173 |
| cal/(scm°C) (Calorie (IT)/second/centimeter/°C) | 0.004134 |
| kcal/(hm°C) (Kilocalorie (IT)/hour/meter/°C) | 1.488164 |
| Btu/(insft*°F) (Btu (IT)/inch/second/square foot/°F) | 0.003333 |
| Btu/(fthft*°F) (Btu (IT)/foot/hour/square foot/°F) | 1.000000 |
| Btu/(inhft*°F) (Btu (IT)/inch/hour/square foot/°F) | 12.000000 |
Conversion from Btu/(inhft*°F) (Btu (IT)/inch/hour/square foot/°F)
| To Unit | Conversion Factor |
|---|---|
| W/(m*K) (Watt/meter/Kelvin) | 0.144228 |
| W/(cm*°C) (Watt/centimeter/°C) | 0.001442 |
| kW/(m*K) (Kilowatt/meter/Kelvin) | 0.000014 |
| cal/(scm°C) (Calorie (IT)/second/centimeter/°C) | 0.000344 |
| kcal/(hm°C) (Kilocalorie (IT)/hour/meter/°C) | 0.124014 |
| Btu/(insft*°F) (Btu (IT)/inch/second/square foot/°F) | 0.000278 |
| Btu/(fthft*°F) (Btu (IT)/foot/hour/square foot/°F) | 0.083333 |
| Btu/(inhft*°F) (Btu (IT)/inch/hour/square foot/°F) | 1.000000 |
Resources
- “Fundamentals of Heat and Mass Transfer” by Frank P. Incropera and David P. DeWitt
- “Heat Transfer” by J.P. Holman
Disclaimer: The Solver provided here is for educational purposes. While efforts ensure accuracy, results may not always reflect real-world scenarios. Verify results with other sources and consult professionals for critical applications. Contact us for any suggestions or corrections.
