Convert Watts to Terawatts
Convert Watts (W) to Terawatts (TW) instantly and accurately.
Conversion Formula
TW = W × 1.000000000e-12
About Watts
The watt (W) is the SI unit of power - 1 J/s - named after James Watt (1736-1819). Familiar power levels: smartphone charging 5-65 W; laptop 15-100 W; microwave 700-1,200 W; electric kettle 2,000-3,000 W; human resting metabolism ~80 W; peak sprint ~2,000 W. The now-obsolete 100 W incandescent bulb is replaced by a 10-15 W LED producing the same light. In AC circuits, reactive power uses the var and apparent power the VA, both derived from watts. 1 W = 1 J/s = 1 kg·m²/s³.
About Terawatts
A terawatt (TW) is 10¹² W. All of human civilisation consumes ~17-18 TW (electricity + heat + transport combined); global electricity generation alone is ~9 TW. Solar irradiance intercepted by Earth is ~174,000 TW; photosynthesis captures ~130 TW. The National Ignition Facility (NIF) fusion laser produces pulses of ~500 TW lasting nanoseconds. High-power laser facilities for nuclear physics and ICF research routinely exceed 1 TW in ultrashort pulse regimes. 1 TW = 10¹² W.
Quick Reference Table
| Watts (W) | Terawatts (TW) |
|---|---|
| 1 W | 1 × 10-12 TW |
| 2 W | 2 × 10-12 TW |
| 5 W | 5 × 10-12 TW |
| 10 W | 1 × 10-11 TW |
| 25 W | 2.5 × 10-11 TW |
| 50 W | 5 × 10-11 TW |
| 100 W | 1 × 10-10 TW |