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Convert Watts to Horsepower

1 watt is 0.001341 hp. One watt is exactly 0.0013410220896 horsepower.

One watt is 0.0013410221 horsepower. To convert watts to horsepower, multiply by 0.0013410221; to go the other way, divide by 0.0013410221 or multiply by 745.69987. The factor is exact rather than rounded: it follows from NIST Special Publication 811. The SI unit: one joule every second.

Factor checked against the defining standard · How we check

Horsepower
0.001341 hp
Watts × 0.0013410221
value * 0.00134102208960.001 hp

1 watt in every power unit

UnitValueExact factor
horsepower0.00134102209 hp× 0.0013410220896
metric horsepower0.001359621617 PS× 0.0013596216173
watts (as entered)1 W
kilowatts0.001 kW× 0.001
megawatts0.000001 MW× 0.000001
BTU per hour3.412141633 BTU/h× 3.41214163313

Factors are entered by hand from NIST Special Publication 811 rather than derived from a units library, so the ones that terminate are exact rather than rounded.

How do you convert watts to horsepower?

  1. 1.Take the measurement in watts.
  2. 2.Multiply by 0.0013410221 — that is how many horsepower fit in one watt.
  3. 3.To go back the other way, divide by 0.0013410221, or multiply by 745.69987.

Worked example: 25 watts to horsepower

Formula
W × 0.0013410221 = hp
Arithmetic
25 × 0.0013410221 = 0.033526 hp
Answer
25 W = 0.033526 hp

The factor is rounded for display; the figure above is computed from the full value.

Watts to horsepower conversion table

WattsHorsepower
1 W0.001341 hp
2 W0.002682 hp
3 W0.004023 hp
4 W0.005364 hp
5 W0.006705 hp
6 W0.008046 hp
7 W0.009387 hp
8 W0.010728 hp
9 W0.012069 hp
10 W0.01341 hp
12 W0.016092 hp
15 W0.020115 hp
20 W0.02682 hp
25 W0.033526 hp
50 W0.067051 hp
100 W0.134102 hp
200 W0.268204 hp
300 W0.402307 hp
500 W0.670511 hp
1000 W1.341022 hp
2000 W2.682044 hp
5000 W6.70511 hp
10000 W13.410221 hp

What is a watt?

The SI unit: one joule every second. A watt is a rate, not an amount, which is the distinction between it and the watt-hour on your electricity bill.

What is a horsepower?

Mechanical horsepower: exactly 550 foot-pounds of work every second, the figure James Watt settled on to sell engines against pit ponies. US vehicle and motor ratings use it.

How many horsepower are in a watt?

One watt is 0.0013410221 horsepower. Going the other way, one horsepower is 745.69987 watts. Both figures come from the same defined relation rather than from a measurement, which is why they are the same today as they were in 1959.

Every power unit here

UnitSymbolOne of these is
Horsepowerhp745.69987 watt
Metric horsepowerPS735.49875 watt
WattsWthe base unit
KilowattskW1000 watt
MegawattsMW1000000 watt
BTU per hourBTU/h0.29307107 watt

Source: NIST Special Publication 811 — mechanical horsepower is 550 ft·lbf/s exactly

Questions people actually ask

How many horsepower are in a watt?
0.0013410221. Mechanical horsepower: exactly 550 foot-pounds of work every second, the figure James Watt settled on to sell engines against pit ponies. US vehicle and motor ratings use it.
How do I convert horsepower back to watts?
Divide by 0.0013410221, or multiply by 745.69987 — they are the same operation.

Other power conversions

Horsepower to watts — the same conversion the other way.