What Is This Tool?
This converter transforms heat flux density values from watts per square meter (SI unit) to ergs per hour per square millimeter (a CGS-derived unit). It's designed to support measurements used in micro-scale experiments, legacy data, and astrophysical contexts.
How to Use This Tool?
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Enter the heat flux density value in watt/square meter (W/m²).
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Select watt/square meter as the input unit and erg/hour/square millimeter as the output unit.
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Click the convert button to obtain the equivalent value in erg/hour/square millimeter.
Key Features
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Converts heat flux density between watt/square meter and erg/hour/square millimeter.
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Supports unit conversions involving SI and CGS-based energy units over different surface areas.
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Offers easy online access for quick calculations without additional tools.
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Facilitates comparisons in laboratory, microelectronics, and astrophysics settings.
Examples
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2 W/m² converts to 72000 erg/hour/mm².
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0.5 W/m² converts to 18000 erg/hour/mm².
Common Use Cases
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Specifying solar irradiance for photovoltaic and solar resource assessments.
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Thermal characterization of microelectronic components and sensors per square millimeter.
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Reporting heat transfer in thin-film and coating laboratory experiments.
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Analyzing historical or astrophysical radiative-flux data expressed in CGS units.
Tips & Best Practices
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Ensure correct unit selection before converting values to avoid errors.
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Use this tool for small-area and CGS-unit contexts to maintain consistency.
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Verify dimensional analysis when mixing CGS and metric units in calculations.
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Check converted results especially when integrating with large-scale engineering data.
Limitations
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The erg/hour/square millimeter unit mixes CGS energy units with metric time and area units, requiring careful interpretation.
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Small surface area units used may complicate comparisons with large-scale heat flux expressed in W/m².
Frequently Asked Questions
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What does watt per square meter measure?
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It is an SI unit expressing heat flux density, measuring power transferred across a surface area in watts per square meter.
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Why convert to erg/hour/square millimeter?
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Conversion is useful for expressing heat flux in CGS units over very small areas, such as in microelectronics or astrophysical measurements.
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Is erg/hour/square millimeter a standard SI unit?
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No, it combines CGS energy units with metric time and area units and is mostly used in specialized contexts.
Key Terminology
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Watt per square meter [W/m²]
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SI unit measuring heat flux density as power per unit surface area, applicable in conductive, convective, and radiative heat transfer.
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Erg/hour/square millimeter
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A unit measuring heat flux density using CGS energy units (ergs) per hour over a square millimeter surface area.
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Heat Flux Density
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The rate of heat energy transfer per unit area through a surface.