Units of Energy

Units of Energy - Changing from m*kg to ft*lbf - Messages

#1 Posted: 8/29/2014 11:52:02 AM
corradolvr

corradolvr

1 likes in 19 posts.

Group: User

Okay. I've got an energy equation that spits out m*kg and I want it in ft*lbf. All the other times I've wanted to change the units I just type it in and it auto converts. This time it won't. Instead of ft*lbf when I type it in to auto convert, it spits out (s^2/m)ft*lbf. Any ideas?

Thanks
#2 Posted: 8/29/2014 1:00:57 PM
Martin Kraska

Martin Kraska

1222 likes in 2150 posts.

Group: Moderator

kg is not a unit of force. Thus, kg*m can't be an energy unit. In the metric system, use the outdated kgf (kilogram force = kg*g) or Newtons (1 N = kg*m/s^2) as force units. Your energy equation or data used therein must be wrong.
Martin Kraska Pre-configured portable distribution of SMath Studio: https://en.smath.info/wiki/SMath%20with%20Plugins.ashx
#3 Posted: 8/29/2014 1:02:14 PM
Ryan Freund

Ryan Freund

19 likes in 339 posts.

Group: User

Make sure that you have not mistakenly used "lb" instead of "lbf" somewhere in the calculation.
#4 Posted: 9/2/2014 8:55:36 AM
corradolvr

corradolvr

1 likes in 19 posts.

Group: User

+1 to both of you. I know that kg is a mass and not a force, but wasn't sure if something else was going on. My coefficients were supposed to be in lbf and if I would taken a little more time I would have seen that I had them in lbm. Feel a little silly for not evaluating that kg thing a little more. I was sure that I had put everything in properly. Well, I guess sometimes it take someone else to look things.

Thanks
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