Convert Kilowatt to Foot-Pound per Second (kW → ft·lbf/s)
The kilowatt is the standard power rating for European cars, household appliances, and small industrial motors.
Kilowatt to Foot-Pound per Second Conversion Table
10 common values| Kilowatt | Foot-Pound per Second |
|---|---|
| 1 kW | 737.56215 ft·lbf/s |
| 5 kW | 3,687.8107 ft·lbf/s |
| 10 kW | 7,375.6215 ft·lbf/s |
| 50 kW | 36,878.107 ft·lbf/s |
| 100 kW | 73,756.215 ft·lbf/s |
| 500 kW | 368,781.07 ft·lbf/s |
| 1,000 kW | 737,562.15 ft·lbf/s |
| 5,000 kW | 3,687,810.7 ft·lbf/s |
| 10,000 kW | 7,375,621.5 ft·lbf/s |
| 50,000 kW | 36,878,107 ft·lbf/s |
How to Convert Kilowatt to Foot-Pound per Second Manually
Step by StepConverting kilowatts to foot-pounds per second is straightforward: multiply by the conversion factor. Follow these three steps to do it by hand or in your head.
- 1Take your value in kilowattsStart with the number of kilowatts (kW) you want to convert.
- 2Multiply by 737.56215The conversion factor from kW to ft·lbf/s is 737.56215. Multiply your value by this number.
- 3Read the result in foot-pounds per secondThe result is your value in foot-pounds per second (ft·lbf/s).
Formula
Multiply the value in kilowatts by 737.56215. For the reverse direction, multiply by 0.001356.
ft·lbf/s = kW × 737.56215kW = ft·lbf/s × 0.001356Tips
Use these in everyday conversions- 1 kW = 1000 W = 1.34 hp = 1.36 PS.
- Home electricity contracted capacity often 3–11 kW in EU.
- Multiply kW × hours = kWh energy consumed.
Common Mistakes
Avoid these- Confusing kW with kWh — power vs energy.
- Assuming all hp measurements are identical — PS differs by 1.4%.
- Exceeding contracted kW limit trips home main breaker.
About Kilowatt and Foot-Pound per Second
What is the Kilowatt?
The kilowatt equals 1,000 watts and is the standard power rating for European cars, household appliances, and small industrial motors. European car engines are rated in kW (a typical economy car has 70–110 kW, a sports car 200–500 kW), even though horsepower is often quoted alongside for marketing. Major household appliances range from 1–3 kW (electric kettle, microwave) to 5–10 kW (electric oven, central air conditioning). Solar panel arrays for homes are sized in kW (typical residential system: 5–10 kW). Electric motors in industry are commonly rated 1 to 500 kW. The kilowatt relates to the watt (1,000 W = 1 kW), the megawatt (1,000 kW = 1 MW), horsepower (1 kW ≈ 1.341 hp), the BTU per hour (1 kW ≈ 3,412 BTU/h), and the kWh of energy when multiplied by hours.
- Car and motorcycle engine ratings (Europe)
- Home electrical service sizing
- HVAC and heating-pump capacity
Small car: 80 kW. Performance car: 200+ kW. Home peak load: 3–10 kW. Heat pump: 5–15 kW.
What is the Foot-Pound per Second?
The foot-pound per second (ft·lb/s) is the American mechanical-power unit, used in engineering and machine-rating contexts. James Watt's original definition of 1 horsepower was 33,000 ft·lb/min = 550 ft·lb/s, so the foot-pound per second is the granular American power unit underlying horsepower calculations. It is rare in everyday use (kW or hp dominate American power specifications) but appears in engineering thermodynamics textbooks, mechanical-design calculations, and ballistics-energy contexts. The ft·lb/s relates to the watt (1 ft·lb/s ≈ 1.356 W), horsepower (550 ft·lb/s = 1 hp), and the BTU per hour (1 ft·lb/s ≈ 4.626 BTU/h). It is part of the legacy US customary unit system that retains a foothold in mechanical engineering despite metric advancement.
- Older US mechanical-engineering calculations
- Some US physics textbooks
- Classical-mechanics problems
Largely historical; modern specs use W or hp.