1. What is Thermal Conductivity?

Thermal conductivity is a material property that indicates its ability to conduct heat. It is defined as the quantity of heat transmitted through a unit thickness in a direction normal to a surface of unit area, due to a unit temperature gradient under steady state conditions.

2. How Does the Converter Work?

The calculator uses these conversion factors:

Where:

• W/m·K — Watts per meter-Kelvin (SI unit)
• BTU/ft·h·°F — British Thermal Units per foot-hour-degree Fahrenheit (Imperial unit)

3. Importance of Unit Conversion

Details: Converting between units is essential when working with international standards, comparing material properties from different sources, or when specific engineering calculations require particular units.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter the value to convert, select the original unit and the target unit. The calculator will provide the converted value with high precision.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: Why are there different units for thermal conductivity?
A: Different measurement systems (SI vs Imperial) and different engineering fields have historically used different units.

Q2: Which unit is more common?
A: W/m·K is more common in scientific literature and most countries, while BTU/ft·h·°F is still used in some US engineering applications.

Q3: Are there other units for thermal conductivity?
A: Yes, other units include cal/cm·s·°C and kcal/m·h·°C, but W/m·K and BTU/ft·h·°F are the most common.

Q4: How precise are these conversion factors?
A: The conversion factors are precise to six decimal places, sufficient for most engineering applications.

Q5: Does temperature affect thermal conductivity?
A: Yes, thermal conductivity often varies with temperature, but unit conversion factors remain constant.