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Erg per Second (erg/s) - Unit Information & Conversion

Symbol:erg/s
Plural:erg/s
Category:Power

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What is a Erg per Second?

Erg per second (erg/s) is the CGS unit of power. 1 erg/s = 10^-7 watts = 0.0000001 W. Used in astrophysics, older scientific literature. 10 million erg/s = 1 watt. Rare in modern practice.

History of the Erg per Second

CGS (centimeter-gram-second) power unit from 19th-century physics. Based on erg (work to move 1 gram by 1 cm with 1 dyne force). Still used in astrophysics for stellar luminosity. SI watts preferred since 1960.

Quick Answer

What is erg/s? Erg per second (erg/s) is the CGS unit of power. 1 erg/s = 0.0000001 watts = 10^-7 W. Used in astrophysics for stars, older physics. 10 million erg/s = 1 watt. Sun luminosity: 3.8 × 10^33 erg/s. Modern science uses watts. Use our power converter for conversions.

Definition

1 erg/s = 10^-7 W = 0.0000001 W = 0.0000000001 kW

Erg definition: 1 erg = 1 dyne⋅cm = 10^-7 joules

Common Uses

Astrophysics: Stellar luminosity, cosmic ray power, radiation output. Older Literature: Pre-1960 physics textbooks, historical research. Spectroscopy: Radiation intensity in some fields. Academic: Teaching unit systems, dimensional analysis.

Real-World Examples

Stellar Luminosity (erg/s)

  • Sun: 3.83 × 10^33 erg/s (3.83 × 10^26 W)
  • Sirius (brightest star): 9.7 × 10^33 erg/s
  • Red dwarf star: ~10^30 erg/s
  • Supergiant star: ~10^38 erg/s
  • Entire galaxy: ~10^43 - 10^45 erg/s

Particle Physics

  • Cosmic ray (high energy): 10^20 - 10^21 eV/particle
  • Solar wind: ~10^27 erg/s total power
  • Pulsar: 10^31 - 10^38 erg/s

Conversion Reference

  • 1 watt: 10,000,000 erg/s (10^7 erg/s)
  • 1 kilowatt: 10^10 erg/s
  • 1 megawatt: 10^13 erg/s
  • 1 gigawatt: 10^16 erg/s

Everyday Items (as erg/s)

  • LED bulb (10W): 10^8 erg/s (100 million erg/s)
  • Laptop (50W): 5 × 10^8 erg/s
  • Microwave (1,000W): 10^10 erg/s (10 billion erg/s)
  • Car engine (100 hp): 7.46 × 10^11 erg/s

Erg per Second Conversion Formulas

To Watt:

1 erg/s = 1.0000e-7 W
Example: 5 erg/s = 5.0000e-7 watts

To Milliwatt:

1 erg/s = 0.0001 mW
Example: 5 erg/s = 0.0005 milliwatts

To Kilowatt:

1 erg/s = 1.0000e-10 kW
Example: 5 erg/s = 5.0000e-10 kilowatts

To Megawatt:

1 erg/s = 1.0000e-13 MW
Example: 5 erg/s = 5.0000e-13 megawatts

To Gigawatt:

1 erg/s = 1.0000e-16 GW
Example: 5 erg/s = 5.0000e-16 gigawatts

To Horsepower:

1 erg/s = 1.3410e-10 hp
Example: 5 erg/s = 6.7051e-10 horsepower

To Metric Horsepower:

1 erg/s = 1.3596e-10 PS
Example: 5 erg/s = 6.7981e-10 PS

To Electric Horsepower:

1 erg/s = 1.3405e-10 hp(E)
Example: 5 erg/s = 6.7024e-10 hp(E)

To BTU per Hour:

1 erg/s = 3.4121e-7 BTU/h
Example: 5 erg/s = 0.000002 BTU/h

To BTU per Minute:

1 erg/s = 5.6869e-9 BTU/min
Example: 5 erg/s = 2.8435e-8 BTU/min

To BTU per Second:

1 erg/s = 9.4782e-11 BTU/s
Example: 5 erg/s = 4.7391e-10 BTU/s

To Foot-pound per Second:

1 erg/s = 7.3756e-8 ft⋅lb/s
Example: 5 erg/s = 3.6878e-7 ft⋅lb/s

To Foot-pound per Minute:

1 erg/s = 0.000004 ft⋅lb/min
Example: 5 erg/s = 0.000022 ft⋅lb/min

To Calorie per Second:

1 erg/s = 2.3901e-8 cal/s
Example: 5 erg/s = 1.1950e-7 cal/s

To Kilocalorie per Hour:

1 erg/s = 8.6042e-8 kcal/h
Example: 5 erg/s = 4.3021e-7 kcal/h

To Ton of Refrigeration:

1 erg/s = 2.8435e-11 TR
Example: 5 erg/s = 1.4217e-10 TR

To Joule per Second:

1 erg/s = 1.0000e-7 J/s
Example: 5 erg/s = 5.0000e-7 J/s

Frequently Asked Questions

Formula: W = erg/s × 10^-7 (or erg/s ÷ 10,000,000) Examples:

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Erg per Second Quick Info

erg/s
Symbol:erg/s
Category:Power
System:Various
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