What is a petawatt (PW)?

A petawatt is an SI unit of power equal to 10^15 watts, measuring the rate of energy transfer or conversion per unit time.

What does erg per second (erg/s) represent?

An erg per second is a CGS unit of power equal to one erg of energy transferred per second, commonly used in astrophysics and older scientific literature.

Why convert petawatts to erg/s?

Converting petawatts to erg/s allows comparison and consistency with CGS-based scientific data, especially in astrophysics and high-energy physics contexts.

Where is this conversion most commonly applied?

This is frequently used in astrophysics for cosmic luminosity measurements and in plasma physics experiments with high-intensity lasers.

How to Convert Petawatt [PW] to Erg/second [erg/s]

Learn the method to convert power measurements from petawatts (PW) to erg per second (erg/s), useful for astrophysics, plasma physics, and high-energy physics contexts.

Petawatt [PW]

Erg/second [erg/s]

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Petawatt [PW] to Erg/second [erg/s] Conversion Table

Petawatt [PW]	Erg/second [erg/s]

Custom Unit Conversion Table Generator – Instant Printable Conversion Tables

Start Value

Enter the starting number (positive decimal or integer ≥ 0). Example: 0.1, 1, 5.

End Value

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Interval

Enter the step size (positive decimal > 0 and < End Value – Start Value). Example: 1.0, 2.5.

Petawatt [PW] to Erg/second [erg/s] Conversion Table
Petawatt [PW]	Erg/second [erg/s]

Explore More Power Units Converter

What Is This Tool?

This converter transforms power values from petawatts (an SI unit) into erg per second (a CGS unit). It is designed to assist users in translating extremely large power quantities, often encountered in specialized physics and astrophysics scenarios.

How to Use This Tool?

Enter the numeric value in petawatts you wish to convert
Select petawatt as the input unit and erg/second as the target unit
Initiate the conversion to obtain the resulting erg/s value
Use the converted value to compare or align with CGS-based data or research

Key Features

Converts petawatts (PW) to erg per second (erg/s), bridging SI and CGS unit systems
Supports high power scale conversions used in astrophysics and plasma physics
Provides straightforward, browser-based power unit conversions
Facilitates alignment with scientific literature using CGS units

Examples

2 Petawatts converts to 2 × 10^22 erg/s (20,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 erg/s)
0.5 Petawatts converts to 5 × 10^21 erg/s (5,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 erg/s)

Common Use Cases

Calculating peak power levels of petawatt-class lasers in plasma physics
Estimating instantaneous power during extreme astrophysical events like gamma-ray bursts
Expressing luminosities of cosmic objects in erg/second units for astrophysical comparisons
Converting power data for high-energy density physics and inertial confinement fusion experiments
Aligning measurements with older scientific literature that uses CGS units

Tips & Best Practices

Ensure unit consistency when combining values from SI and CGS systems
Use this conversion when working with extremely large power scales in specialized research
Carefully handle large numerical results to avoid computational or transcription errors
Verify converted values when referencing scientific data in erg/s to maintain accuracy

Limitations

Extremely large numbers may be cumbersome for routine power measurements
Mixing SI and CGS data without caution can lead to inconsistencies
This conversion is specific to power units and may not apply directly to other physical quantities

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a petawatt (PW)?: A petawatt is an SI unit of power equal to 10^15 watts, measuring the rate of energy transfer or conversion per unit time.
What does erg per second (erg/s) represent?: An erg per second is a CGS unit of power equal to one erg of energy transferred per second, commonly used in astrophysics and older scientific literature.
Why convert petawatts to erg/s?: Converting petawatts to erg/s allows comparison and consistency with CGS-based scientific data, especially in astrophysics and high-energy physics contexts.
Where is this conversion most commonly applied?: This is frequently used in astrophysics for cosmic luminosity measurements and in plasma physics experiments with high-intensity lasers.

Key Terminology

Petawatt (PW): An SI unit of power equal to 10^15 watts, representing the rate of energy transfer or conversion.
Erg per second (erg/s): A CGS unit of power equal to one erg of energy transferred each second; 1 erg/s equals 1×10⁻⁷ watts.
SI Units: The International System of Units, a globally accepted system for scientific measurements.
CGS Units: A system of units based on centimeter, gram, and second, often used in certain physics fields and older literature.

Quick Knowledge Check

What unit system does petawatt (PW) belong to?

CGS system

SI system

Imperial system

Which unit is used often in astrophysics to express power after conversion?

Watts

Erg per second (erg/s)

Horsepower

Why must users be cautious when mixing petawatt and erg/s values?

Because they measure different quantities

Due to differences between SI and CGS unit systems

Because erg/s is not a power unit

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