Units of Work
Untis of work is depending on the type of the work to be carried out. The most common international systems of units (SI) recognized units of work as Joule denoted by “J”. In addition to that there are many other types of units used to measure the work.
Some of the common types of units measure the work are as follows.
Joule (J):
The joule is the standard unit of work and energy in the International System of Units (SI). One joule is equal to the work done when a force of one newton moves an object one meter against the force.
Calorie (cal):
The calorie is a unit of energy and work, especially in the context of nutrition. It is defined as the amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of one gram of water by one degree Celsius.
Kilocalorie (kcal):
Commonly used in the context of food energy, the kilocalorie, or Calorie with a capital “C,” is equivalent to 1,000 calories.
Erg (erg):
The erg is a unit of work or energy in the centimeter-gram-second (CGS) system. One erg is the work done by a force of one dyne acting over a distance of one centimeter.
Foot-Pound (ft-lb):
The foot-pound is a unit of work in the imperial and U.S. customary systems. It represents the work done when a force of one pound moves an object one foot against the force.
Newton-Meter (N·m):
Equivalent to a joule, the newton-meter is often used interchangeably in the context of work and energy, especially in physics and engineering.
Kilowatt-Hour (kWh):
While primarily a unit of energy, the kilowatt-hour is often used in discussions of work, especially in the context of electricity consumption. One kilowatt-hour is equal to the work done by one kilowatt of power in one hour.
British Thermal Unit (BTU):
The British Thermal Unit is a unit of work or energy commonly used in the United States, especially in the context of heating and cooling systems. One BTU is the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of one pound of water by one degree Fahrenheit.
Poundal-Foot (pdl·ft):
The poundal-foot is a unit of work in the foot-pound-second (FPS) system. It represents the work done when a force of one poundal moves an object one foot against the force.
Calorie (International Table) (cal): This calorie is based on the international table of specific heat and is defined as 1/4.184 joules.
In addition to above and for measuring smaller work than the joule, we use other units of work.
They are as follows.
Erg (erg):
Already mentioned, the erg is a unit of work in the CGS system, equal to one dyne applied over a distance of one centimeter. It is a smaller unit, and one joule is equal to 10 million ergs.
Electron Volt (eV):
The electron volt is a unit of energy, often used in particle physics and atomic-scale calculations. One electron volt is approximately 1.602×10−19 joules.
Foot-Poundal (ft·pdl):
The foot-poundal is a unit of work in the FPS system, where one foot-poundal is equal to one poundal applied over a distance of one foot.
Calorie (International Table) (cal):
Though primarily a unit of energy, the calorie is also used in discussions of work. One calorie (International Table) is approximately 4.184 joules.
Therm (thm):
The therm is a unit of energy in the field of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC). One therm is equal to 100,000 British Thermal Units (BTUs) or approximately 105.5 megajoules.
These smaller units are often employed in specific scientific or engineering contexts where the amounts of work involved are relatively small.
