Converting watts to kilowatts

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In summary, to convert 72 watts into a kilowatt hour, you would need to divide the wattage by 1000 and then multiply it by the number of hours the device is running. In this case, if a device is using 72 watts for 3 hours, it would use 0.216 kilowatt hours of energy. Kilowatt hour is a unit of energy, while watts is a rate that remains constant over time as long as the device is still running.
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solaron
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Let's say, for example, that I have a common household item that is 6amps, being run from a 12v circuit, like a car battery. That would make the wattage 72, correct? What is the time frame on that? Is that 72 watts an hour? a minute? Basically, how do I convert that number, 72watts, into a kilowatt hour? I'd like to know basically, how many kwh come from the typical car battery, in a comparison for class.

Thanks!
 
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  • #2
Watts is a rate, it's 72 watts now and it will be 72 watts 3 hours from now (as long as it's still running).

Kilowatt hour is a unit of energy. Just turn watts into kilowatts by dividing wattage by 1000, then multiply by the hours the thing is running to get kilowatt hours.

If a device is 72 watts and it runs for 3 hours, 0.216 kilowatt hours of power is used.
 
  • #3
Make that 0.216 kW-hr of energy.

- Warren
 

1. What is the formula for converting watts to kilowatts?

The formula for converting watts to kilowatts is to divide the number of watts by 1000. This is because there are 1000 watts in 1 kilowatt.

2. Can you provide an example of converting watts to kilowatts?

For example, if you have 2000 watts, to convert it to kilowatts, you would divide 2000 by 1000, resulting in 2 kilowatts.

3. What is the difference between watts and kilowatts?

Watts and kilowatts are both units of power, but kilowatts are a larger unit. 1 kilowatt is equal to 1000 watts.

4. Why is it important to convert watts to kilowatts?

Converting watts to kilowatts is important because it allows us to measure and compare larger amounts of power more easily. For example, household appliances use kilowatts instead of watts because their power consumption is much higher.

5. Is there a shortcut for converting watts to kilowatts?

Yes, there is a shortcut for converting watts to kilowatts. You can simply move the decimal point three places to the left. For example, if you have 5000 watts, moving the decimal point three places to the left would result in 5 kilowatts.

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