Convert Picowatts to BTU per Second
Convert Picowatts (pW) to BTU per Second (BTU/s) instantly and accurately.
Conversion Formula
BTU/s = pW × 9.478171203e-16
About Picowatts
A picowatt (pW) is 10⁻¹² W - the power scale of the most sensitive radio receivers. GPS satellites transmit 20-50 W; by the time that signal spans 20,000 km, the received power is ~0.1 pW (−130 dBm). Radio telescopes routinely detect cosmic signals in the picowatt range. Qubit control electronics in quantum computers must resolve energy differences at picowatt scales. Photodetectors in single-photon counting mode, hard drive head read-back signals at idle, and deep-shadow solar cells also operate at picowatt levels. 1 pW = 10⁻¹² W.
About BTU per Second
One BTU per second (BTU/s) ≈ 1,055 W - close to 1 kW but slightly larger. Used when heat rates are so high that per-hour or per-minute numbers become unwieldy. In fire protection engineering, large house fires peak at 500-2,000 BTU/s; industrial fires at millions of BTU/s. Blast characterisation for petrochemical safety and large industrial heat exchangers with duties of millions of BTU/h are conveniently expressed in BTU/s. Since 1 BTU/s ≈ 1.055 kW, conversion to SI is straightforward. 1 BTU/s = 1,055.056 W.
Quick Reference Table
| Picowatts (pW) | BTU per Second (BTU/s) |
|---|---|
| 1 pW | 9.478 × 10-16 BTU/s |
| 2 pW | 1.896 × 10-15 BTU/s |
| 5 pW | 4.739 × 10-15 BTU/s |
| 10 pW | 9.478 × 10-15 BTU/s |
| 25 pW | 2.37 × 10-14 BTU/s |
| 50 pW | 4.739 × 10-14 BTU/s |
| 100 pW | 9.478 × 10-14 BTU/s |