Convert Ergs to British Thermal Units
Convert Ergs (erg) to British Thermal Units (BTU) instantly and accurately.
Conversion Formula
BTU = erg × 9.478171203e-11
About Ergs
An erg is the CGS unit of energy - the work done by one dyne through one centimetre - exactly 10⁻⁷ J. Despite SI adoption, the erg persists in astrophysics: the Sun's luminosity is 3.828 × 10³³ erg/s; gamma-ray burst isotropic energies are quoted in units of 10⁵¹ erg ('one foe'). Surface tension of water is 72.8 dyn/cm; the work to create 1 cm² of new water-air interface is 72.8 erg. Earthquake seismic moment M₀ is in dyn·cm = erg; the 2004 Boxing Day earthquake had M₀ ≈ 10²³ J = 10³⁰ erg. 1 erg = 10⁻⁷ J = 624.15 eV.
About British Thermal Units
A British Thermal Unit (BTU) - the heat to raise 1 lb of water by 1°F - equals exactly 1,055.05585262 J. It dominates US HVAC: room air conditioners are rated in BTU/h (5,000-24,000 BTU/h = 1.5-7.0 kW); one ton of refrigeration is exactly 12,000 BTU/h. Natural gas is billed in therms (100,000 BTU) in the US. Higher heating values: natural gas ~1,020-1,050 BTU/ft³; No. 2 fuel oil ~138,700 BTU/US gal; propane ~91,500 BTU/US gal. 1 BTU = 1,055.06 J = 252.164 cal = 0.29307 Wh.
Quick Reference Table
| Ergs (erg) | British Thermal Units (BTU) |
|---|---|
| 1 erg | 9.478 × 10-11 BTU |
| 2 erg | 1.896 × 10-10 BTU |
| 5 erg | 4.739 × 10-10 BTU |
| 10 erg | 9.478 × 10-10 BTU |
| 25 erg | 2.37 × 10-9 BTU |
| 50 erg | 4.739 × 10-9 BTU |
| 100 erg | 9.478 × 10-9 BTU |