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Foot-pound per Second (ft⋅lb/s) - Unit Information & Conversion

Symbol:ft⋅lb/s
Plural:ft⋅lb/s
Category:Power

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What is a Foot-pound per Second?

Foot-pound per second (ft⋅lbf/s) measures mechanical power. 1 ft⋅lbf/s = 1.356 watts. Foundation of horsepower definition: 550 ft⋅lbf/s = 1 hp exactly. Used in classical mechanics, physics education.

History of the Foot-pound per Second

Historical mechanical power unit from early steam engine era. James Watt defined 1 hp = 550 ft⋅lbf/s (1780s). Still used in engineering education, classical mechanics. Largely replaced by watts.

Quick Answer

What is ft⋅lbf/s? Foot-pound per second (ft⋅lbf/s) measures power in imperial units. 1 ft⋅lbf/s = 1.356 watts. 550 ft⋅lbf/s = 1 horsepower (exact definition). Used in physics education, classical mechanics. Modern engines rated in hp or kW. Use our power converter for conversions.

Definition

1 ft⋅lbf/s = 1.356 W = 0.001356 kW = 0.001818 hp = 4.627 BTU/h

Horsepower relationship: 550 ft⋅lbf/s = 1 hp (745.7 W) exactly

Common Uses

Physics Education: Teaching power concepts, mechanical work problems. Classical Mechanics: Textbook problems, engineering fundamentals. Historical: Steam engine era calculations (now use hp or kW). Rarely Practical: Most real applications use hp, kW, or watts.

Real-World Examples

Mechanical Power (converted to ft⋅lbf/s)

  • 100W light bulb: ~74 ft⋅lbf/s
  • 1 hp motor: 550 ft⋅lbf/s (exact)
  • 10 hp engine: 5,500 ft⋅lbf/s = 7.46 kW
  • 100 hp car engine: 55,000 ft⋅lbf/s = 74.6 kW

Physics Problems

  • Lifting 50 lb at 2 ft/s: 100 ft⋅lbf/s = 136 W
  • Pulling 200 lb at 5 ft/s: 1,000 ft⋅lbf/s = 1.356 kW
  • Climbing stairs (150 lb, 3 ft/s vertical): 450 ft⋅lbf/s = 610 W

Foot-pound per Second Conversion Formulas

To Watt:

1 ft⋅lb/s = 1.355818 W
Example: 5 ft⋅lb/s = 6.77909 watts

To Milliwatt:

1 ft⋅lb/s = 1355.817948 mW
Example: 5 ft⋅lb/s = 6779.089742 milliwatts

To Kilowatt:

1 ft⋅lb/s = 0.001356 kW
Example: 5 ft⋅lb/s = 0.006779 kilowatts

To Megawatt:

1 ft⋅lb/s = 0.000001 MW
Example: 5 ft⋅lb/s = 0.000007 megawatts

To Gigawatt:

1 ft⋅lb/s = 1.3558e-9 GW
Example: 5 ft⋅lb/s = 6.7791e-9 gigawatts

To Horsepower:

1 ft⋅lb/s = 0.001818 hp
Example: 5 ft⋅lb/s = 0.009091 horsepower

To Metric Horsepower:

1 ft⋅lb/s = 0.001843 PS
Example: 5 ft⋅lb/s = 0.009217 PS

To Electric Horsepower:

1 ft⋅lb/s = 0.001817 hp(E)
Example: 5 ft⋅lb/s = 0.009087 hp(E)

To BTU per Hour:

1 ft⋅lb/s = 4.626243 BTU/h
Example: 5 ft⋅lb/s = 23.131214 BTU/h

To BTU per Minute:

1 ft⋅lb/s = 0.077104 BTU/min
Example: 5 ft⋅lb/s = 0.38552 BTU/min

To BTU per Second:

1 ft⋅lb/s = 0.001285 BTU/s
Example: 5 ft⋅lb/s = 0.006425 BTU/s

To Foot-pound per Minute:

1 ft⋅lb/s = 60 ft⋅lb/min
Example: 5 ft⋅lb/s = 300 ft⋅lb/min

To Calorie per Second:

1 ft⋅lb/s = 0.324048 cal/s
Example: 5 ft⋅lb/s = 1.620241 cal/s

To Kilocalorie per Hour:

1 ft⋅lb/s = 1.166574 kcal/h
Example: 5 ft⋅lb/s = 5.832869 kcal/h

To Ton of Refrigeration:

1 ft⋅lb/s = 0.000386 TR
Example: 5 ft⋅lb/s = 0.001928 TR

To Erg per Second:

1 ft⋅lb/s = 13558179.483314 erg/s
Example: 5 ft⋅lb/s = 67790897.41657 erg/s

To Joule per Second:

1 ft⋅lb/s = 1.355818 J/s
Example: 5 ft⋅lb/s = 6.77909 J/s

Frequently Asked Questions

Formula: hp = ft⋅lbf/s ÷ 550 Examples:

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Foot-pound per Second Quick Info

ft⋅lb/s
Symbol:ft⋅lb/s
Category:Power
System:Imperial/US Customary
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