What Is This Tool?
This converter allows you to transform power values measured in pound-foot per hour, an imperial unit of mechanical power, into milliwatts, a metric unit widely used in electronic and optical power measurements.
How to Use This Tool?
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Enter the power value in pound-foot per hour.
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Select pound-foot/hour as the input unit.
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Choose milliwatt as the output unit.
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Click convert to see the equivalent power in milliwatts.
Key Features
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Converts power from imperial pound-foot per hour to metric milliwatt units.
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Useful for expressing very low mechanical power rates in SI units.
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Offers clear, step-by-step conversion based on a precise formula.
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Includes examples to illustrate common conversions.
Examples
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2 lbf*ft/h equals 0.7532321936 mW.
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5 lbf*ft/h converts to 1.883080484 mW.
Common Use Cases
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Expressing very low continuous mechanical output in legacy imperial units such as small clocks or gear-train power.
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Documenting historical or vintage equipment power specifications.
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Estimating mechanical work rates from hand-cranks or slow winches by converting older ratings to SI units.
Tips & Best Practices
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Ensure unit definitions are strictly followed to maintain conversion accuracy.
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Use this tool mainly for low-power mechanical measurements due to the unit's scale.
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Cross-check results when working with historical data to avoid rounding or legacy reporting errors.
Limitations
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Pound-foot per hour is suitable only for very low power levels and not practical for high-power applications.
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Conversions may be affected by rounding errors or imprecision in legacy data.
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The unit's low magnitude limits its usefulness in modern high-power scenarios.
Frequently Asked Questions
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What does a pound-foot per hour measure?
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It measures very low mechanical power as the rate of work expressed in imperial units, indicating foot-pounds of force per hour.
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Why convert pound-foot/hour to milliwatts?
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Converting to milliwatts allows modern engineers to express legacy mechanical power ratings in standard SI units that are compatible with electronic power measurements.
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Can I use this conversion for high-power calculations?
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No, because pound-foot/hour represents extremely low power levels and is not suitable for high-power applications.
Key Terminology
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Pound-foot per hour [lbf*ft/h]
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An imperial unit of power representing the rate of mechanical work of one foot-pound force per hour.
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Milliwatt [mW]
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A metric unit of power equal to one thousandth of a watt, commonly used for measuring low-level power in electronic and optical systems.
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Power
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The rate at which work is done or energy is transferred.