CHEMISTRY DEPARTMENT • TEMPLE UNIVERSITY • PHILADELPHIA, PA


Selected Physical Constants Useful in Chemistry

Constant (symbol) value

Constant (symbol) value


SI Units and Conversion Factor

Length [SI unit: meter (m)]

Mass [SI unit: kilogram (kg)]

1 meter = 1.0936 yards

1 kilogram = 1000 grams = 2.2046 pounds

1 centimeter = 0.39370 inch

1 pound = 453.59 grams = 16 ounces

1 inch = 2.54 centimeters (exactly)

1 ton = 2000 pounds = 907.185 kilograms

1 kilometer = 0.62137 mile

1 metric ton = 1000 kilograms = 2204.6 pounds

1 mile = 5380 feet = 1.6093 kilometers (exactly)

1 atomic mass unit = 1.66056 x 10-27 kilograms

1 angstrom = 10-10 = 100 picometers


Volume [SI unit: cubic meter (m3)]

Temperature [SI unit: kelvin (K)]

1 liter = 10-3 m3 = 1 dm3 = 1.0567 quarts

0 K = -273.15o C = -459.67o F

1 gallon = 4 quarts = 8 pints = 3.7854 liters

K = oC + 273.15

1 quart = 32 fluid ounces = 0.94633 liter

oC = 5/9 (oF - 32)

oF = 9/5(oC) + 32


Energy [SI unit: joule (J)]

Pressure [SI unit: pascal (Pa)]

1 joule = 1kg m2 s-2 = 0.23901 calorie = 9.4781 x 10-4 btu (British thermal unit)

1 atmosphere = 101.325 kilopascals = 760 torr (mm Hg) = 14.70 pounds per square inch (psi)

1 calorie = 4.184 joules = 3.965 x 10-3 btu

1 pascal = 1 N m-2 = 1 kg m-1 s-2

1 btu = 1055.06 joules = 252.2 calories

1 bar = 10 5 pascals

1 hartree = 4.3597482 x 10-18 J = 627.5095 kcal mol-1 = 27.2116 eV

1 electron volt (eV) = 23.06037 kcal mol-1



[Temple University] [Chemistry Department]