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Convert Watts to Metric horsepower

1 watt is 0.00136 PS. One watt is exactly 0.0013596216173 metric horsepower.

One watt is 0.0013596216 metric horsepower. To convert watts to metric horsepower, multiply by 0.0013596216; to go the other way, divide by 0.0013596216 or multiply by 735.49875. 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

Metric horsepower
0.00136 PS
Watts × 0.0013596216
value * 0.00135962161730.001 PS

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 metric horsepower?

  1. 1.Take the measurement in watts.
  2. 2.Multiply by 0.0013596216 — that is how many metric horsepower fit in one watt.
  3. 3.To go back the other way, divide by 0.0013596216, or multiply by 735.49875.

Worked example: 25 watts to metric horsepower

Formula
W × 0.0013596216 = PS
Arithmetic
25 × 0.0013596216 = 0.033991 PS
Answer
25 W = 0.033991 PS

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

Watts to metric horsepower conversion table

WattsMetric horsepower
1 W0.00136 PS
2 W0.002719 PS
3 W0.004079 PS
4 W0.005438 PS
5 W0.006798 PS
6 W0.008158 PS
7 W0.009517 PS
8 W0.010877 PS
9 W0.012237 PS
10 W0.013596 PS
12 W0.016315 PS
15 W0.020394 PS
20 W0.027192 PS
25 W0.033991 PS
50 W0.067981 PS
100 W0.135962 PS
200 W0.271924 PS
300 W0.407886 PS
500 W0.679811 PS
1000 W1.359622 PS
2000 W2.719243 PS
5000 W6.798108 PS
10000 W13.596216 PS

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 metric horsepower?

Exactly 75 kilogram-force metres a second, which is 1.4% less than mechanical horsepower. A German car quoted at 150 PS is 148 hp, and the difference is the definition rather than the engine.

How many metric horsepower are in a watt?

One watt is 0.0013596216 metric horsepower. Going the other way, one metric horsepower is 735.49875 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 metric horsepower are in a watt?
0.0013596216. Exactly 75 kilogram-force metres a second, which is 1.4% less than mechanical horsepower. A German car quoted at 150 PS is 148 hp, and the difference is the definition rather than the engine.
How do I convert metric horsepower back to watts?
Divide by 0.0013596216, or multiply by 735.49875 — they are the same operation.

Other power conversions

Metric horsepower to watts — the same conversion the other way.