Conversion Units in the CONVERT Function in Excel

by | Jan 26, 2024

The Excel CONVERT function is a versatile tool used in Engineering calculations, serving as a valuable asset for professionals seeking to streamline unit conversions. This function allows users to transition between various unit systems, allowing for effortless transformations such as converting feet into meters, pounds into kilograms, gallons into liters, Fahrenheit into Celsius, and many more. In this comprehensive guide, we will delve into the intricacies of harnessing the Excel CONVERT function. Our objective is to provide you with a clear understanding of its functionality, accompanied by essential tips and effective error-handling methods. By the end of this article, you will be well-equipped to navigate unit conversions in Excel with precision and ease.

Weight and Mass Conversion Units

In the measurements, weight and mass play crucial roles. Here's a list of common weight and mass units along with their abbreviations:

  • Gram ("g"): A fundamental metric unit for measuring mass, often used for small quantities.
  • Slug ("sg"): A unit used in physics and engineering for mass measurement.
  • Pound mass (avoirdupois) ("lbm"): Commonly used in the United States for measuring mass.
  • U (atomic mass unit) ("u"): Used in chemistry to describe the mass of atoms and molecules.
  • Ounce mass (avoirdupois) ("ozm"): Commonly used for smaller mass measurements.Grain ("grain")**: A small unit of mass, often used for bullets, gunpowder, and precious metals.
  • U.S. (short) hundredweight ("cwt" or "shweight"): Used for measuring bulk goods and commodities in the United States.
  • Imperial hundredweight ("uk_cwt" or "lcwt" or "hweight"): The British counterpart to the U.S. hundredweight.
  • Stone ("stone"): A unit of mass commonly used in the United Kingdom, especially for personal weight.
  • Ton ("ton"): A well-known unit for measuring larger quantities, including metric and U.S. tons.
  • Imperial ton ("uk_ton" or "LTON" or "brton"): Used in the British Imperial system for mass measurement.

Distance Conversion Units

When it comes to measuring distance, there are several essential units to be aware of. Here's a concise list of common distance units and their respective abbreviations:

  • Meter ("m"): The meter is the fundamental unit of length in the metric system and is widely used worldwide.
  • Statute mile ("mi"): The statute mile, often referred to simply as a mile, is a common unit of distance in the United States and other countries using the Imperial system.
  • Nautical mile ("Nmi"): The nautical mile is primarily used in aviation and maritime navigation due to its convenience for measuring distances over the Earth's surface.
  • Inch ("in"): The inch is a familiar unit for small measurements, commonly used in everyday life.
  • Foot ("ft"): The foot is another unit used in both the Imperial and U.S. customary systems for measuring length.
  • Yard ("yd"): The yard is a unit of length often used for larger measurements in the Imperial and U.S. customary systems.
  • Angstrom ("ang"): The angstrom is a tiny unit used in scientific applications, especially in chemistry and physics.
  • Ell ("ell"): The ell is a historical unit of measurement that varies in length depending on the region and context of use.
  • Light-year ("ly"): The light-year represents the distance that light travels in one year and is commonly used in astronomy to measure astronomical distances.
  • Parsec ("parsec" or "pc"): The parsec is another astronomical unit of distance often used to describe distances between celestial objects.
  • Pica (1/72 inch) ("Picapt" or "Pica"): The pica, in its various forms, is a typographic unit of measure used in publishing and printing.
  • Pica (1/6 inch) ("pica"): Another form of the pica, this unit is sometimes used in typography and design.
  • U.S. survey mile (statute mile) ("survey_mi"): The U.S. survey mile is a specific measurement used in land surveying and legal documents in the United States.

 

Time Conversion Units

  • Year ("yr"): A unit of time commonly used to measure longer durations, equal to 365 or 366 days depending on leap years.
  • Day ("day" or "d"): The standard unit for measuring 24 hours.
  • Hour ("hr"): A unit of time that divides a day into 24 equal parts.
  • Minute ("mn" or "min"): A smaller unit of time, with 60 minutes in an hour.
  • Second ("sec" or "s"): The smallest commonly used unit of time, with 60 seconds in a minute.

 

Pressure Conversion Units

  • Pascal ("Pa" or "p"): The SI unit for pressure, equivalent to one newton per square meter.
  • Atmosphere ("atm" or "at"): A unit of pressure commonly used to measure atmospheric pressure at sea level.
  • Millimeters of Mercury ("mmHg"): A unit of pressure often used in barometric measurements.
  • PSI ("psi"): Pounds per square inch, a unit of pressure frequently used in engineering and industrial applications.
  • Torr ("Torr"): A unit of pressure used in scientific and vacuum-related contexts.

These pressure units are vital for various scientific, engineering, and industrial purposes, helping to quantify the force exerted by gases and fluids in different conditions.

Force Conversion Units

  • Newton ("N"): The SI unit for force, equivalent to one-kilogram meter per second squared (kg·m/s²).
  • Dyne ("dyn" or "dy"): A smaller unit of force, commonly used in scientific measurements, equal to 0.00001 newtons.
  • Pound force ("lbf"): A unit of force used in the United States and other countries that follows the U.S. customary system, equivalent to approximately 4.44822 newtons.
  • Pond ("pond"): A unit of force primarily used in the Netherlands and some other European countries.

 

Energy Conversion Units

Joule ("J"): The SI unit for energy, equal to the energy transferred when a force of one newton acts on an object over a one-meter distance.
Erg ("e"): A smaller unit of energy often used in scientific measurements, equivalent to 0.0000001 joules.
Thermodynamic calorie ("c"): A unit of energy used in thermodynamics, equal to 4.184 joules.
IT calorie ("cal"): Another unit of energy, often used in chemistry and physics, equal to 4.184 joules.
Electron volt ("eV" or "ev"): A unit of energy commonly used in atomic and subatomic physics, equal to the energy gained or lost by an electron when it moves through an electric potential difference of one volt.
Horsepower-hour ("HPh" or "hh"): A unit of energy used in engineering, equivalent to the work done by one horsepower in one hour.
Watt-hour ("Wh" or "wh"): A unit of energy commonly used in electricity consumption measurements, equal to one watt of power expended for one hour.
Foot-pound ("flb"): A unit of energy often used in engineering and mechanics, equal to the energy required to lift a one-pound weight by one foot.
BTU ("BTU" or "btu"): British Thermal Unit, a unit of energy often used in the United States for heating and cooling systems, equal to approximately 1055.06 joules.

Power Conversion Units

  • Horsepower ("HP" or "h"): A unit of power commonly used in the United States and some other countries.
  • Pferdestärke ("PS"): A unit of power used in Germany and certain other European countries.
  • Watt ("W" or "w"): The SI unit for power, used worldwide as the standard unit of power measurement.

Magnetism Conversion Units

  • Tesla ("T"): The SI unit for magnetic field strength, equivalent to one weber per square meter.
  • Gauss ("ga"): A unit of magnetic induction used in older systems, equal to 0.0001 teslas.

Temperature Conversion Units

  • Degree Celsius ("C" or "cel"): The SI unit for temperature commonly used worldwide.
  • Degree Fahrenheit ("F" or "fah"): A temperature unit used mainly in the United States and some other countries.
  • Kelvin ("K" or "kel"): The SI unit for temperature, used in scientific and international contexts.
  • Degrees Rankine ("Rank"): A temperature unit used in some engineering applications, especially in the United States.
  • Degrees Réaumur ("Reau"): A historical temperature unit, primarily used in some European countries.

Volume Units

  • Kitchen Measurements: Easily convert between teaspoons ("tsp"), tablespoons ("tbs"), cups ("cup"), and fluid ounces ("oz"). For example, converting teaspoons to milliliters or cups to liters is simple with Excel.
  • International Volume Units: Seamlessly convert between U.S. and U.K. measurements, such as U.S. pints ("pt" or "us_pt") to U.K. pints ("uk_pt"), and gallons ("gal") to imperial gallons ("uk_gal"). This is especially useful for international data comparisons.
  • Scientific Measurements: Excel handles conversions of scientific units like cubic angstroms ("ang3" or "ang^3"), cubic meters ("m3" or "m^3"), and cubic feet ("ft3" or "ft^3"). Converting cubic inches ("in3" or "in^3") to cubic centimeters, for example, is straightforward.
  • Large-Scale and Industrial Units: For larger-scale measurements, Excel can convert units like U.S. oil barrels ("barrel"), bushels ("bushel"), and even cubic miles ("mi3" or "mi^3").

Area Units

Excel's CONVERT function is a versatile tool for converting between various area units, catering to a wide range of applications from real estate to scientific research.

  • Land Measurements: Convert between different types of acre measurements such as International acres ("uk_acre") and U.S. survey/statute acres ("us_acre"). This function is particularly useful in real estate and agriculture.
  • Scientific and Microscopic Measurements: For scientific calculations, easily convert square angstroms ("ang2" or "ang^2") and hectares ("ha"). These conversions are crucial in fields like physics and environmental science.
  • Standard Area Units: Common conversions such as square feet ("ft2" or "ft^2"), square inches ("in2" or "in^2"), and square meters ("m2" or "m^2") are straightforward with Excel, useful for everyday measurements and construction projects.
  • Astronomical Measurements: Excel can even handle conversions of astronomical units like square light-years ("ly2" or "ly^2"), aiding in astrophysical calculations.
  • Historical and Uncommon Units: For more unique measurements, convert units like Morgen or square Pica ("Picapt2", "Pica2", "Pica^2" or "Picapt^2").
  • Large-Scale Area Units: Convert units for larger areas, such as square miles ("mi2" or "mi^2") and square nautical miles ("Nmi2" or "Nmi^2"), useful in geography and mapping.
  • Other Measurements: For versatile applications, easily convert square yards ("yd2" or "yd^2") for various planning and design purposes.

Information Units

In the digital age, understanding and converting information units is a key skill. Excel's CONVERT function simplifies this process, allowing users to effortlessly transition between the basic units of digital information.

  • Basic Units of Digital Information: Excel facilitates the conversion between bits ("bit") and bytes ("byte"). These are the fundamental units in computing and digital communications. A bit is the smallest unit of data in a computer, representing a binary value of 0 or 1. A byte, typically consisting of eight bits, is the basic unit for storing data.
  • Practical Applications: This conversion is particularly useful in fields like computer science, data analysis, and telecommunications. For example, when assessing data transfer rates or storage capacities, converting bits to bytes or vice versa provides a clearer understanding of the data volume involved.
  • Simplicity in Data Management: With the CONVERT function, Excel users can handle these conversions with ease, streamlining the process of data analysis and management.

Speed Units

Excel's CONVERT function provides an efficient way to work with various speed units, crucial in fields like transportation, meteorology, and sports analytics.

  • Nautical Speeds: The function allows for conversions between different nautical speed units such as Admiralty knots ("admkn") and standard knots ("kn"). This is particularly relevant in maritime navigation and oceanographic studies.
  • Everyday Speed Measurements: Conversions between meters per hour ("m/h" or "m/hr") and miles per hour ("mph") are straightforward with Excel. This functionality is useful for everyday applications like car speedometers and traffic studies.
  • Scientific Speed Calculations: Excel also handles conversions for meters per second ("m/s" or "m/sec"), a standard unit in physics and engineering for expressing velocities in scientific research and experiments.

Prefixes that can be prepended to any metric from_unit or to_unit

Excel's CONVERT function not only handles basic unit conversions but also seamlessly integrates metric prefixes, expanding its utility across a vast range of magnitudes. These prefixes, representing powers of ten, are essential in scientific, engineering, and data analysis fields, allowing precise and varied measurements.

  • Large Magnitudes: For extremely large quantities, prefixes like yotta ("Y", 1E+24), zetta ("Z", 1E+21), and exa ("E", 1E+18) are used. These are often seen in scientific contexts, such as astrophysics or large-scale data processing.
  • Moderate to Large Magnitudes: For substantial but less extreme values, prefixes like peta ("P", 1E+15), tera ("T", 1E+12), giga ("G", 1E+09), mega ("M", 1E+06), and kilo ("k", 1E+03) are commonly used. They are prevalent in technology, such as in measuring data storage (gigabytes, terabytes) or distances in astronomy (kilometers, megameters).
  • Small to Moderate Magnitudes: Hecto ("h", 1E+02) and dekao ("da" or "e", 1E+01) are less commonly used but still important for certain measurements, such as agricultural land areas or large-scale manufacturing.
  • Small Magnitudes: For minute measurements, prefixes like deci ("d", 1E-01), centi ("c", 1E-02), milli ("m", 1E-03), and micro ("u", 1E-06) are essential. These are frequently used in everyday contexts, like in millimeters for small distances or microseconds in computing.
  • Very Small Magnitudes: Nano ("n", 1E-09), pico ("p", 1E-12), femto ("f", 1E-15), atto ("a", 1E-18), zepto ("z", 1E-21), and yocto ("y", 1E-24) are critical in fields like nanotechnology, chemistry, and physics, where incredibly small units are measured and analyzed.

Navigating Binary Prefixes in Excel

In the digital world, where data storage and processing are paramount, understanding binary prefixes is essential. Excel's CONVERT function can be a helpful tool in navigating these prefixes, which are based on powers of two and are used extensively in computing and data science.

  • Highest Order of Magnitude: At the uppermost scale, we have yobi ("Yi", 2^80), zebi ("Zi", 2^70), and exbi ("Ei", 2^60), derived from yotta, zetta, and exa, respectively. These prefixes are used for extremely large data sizes, like those found in major data centers or in astronomical data processing.
  • Intermediate Scale: Moving down the scale, there's pebi ("Pi", 2^50), tebi ("Ti", 2^40), and gibi ("Gi", 2^30), aligned with peta, tera, and giga. These are common in everyday computing, especially for measuring RAM and hard drive capacities.
  • More Commonly Used Magnitudes: At a more familiar level, there are mebi ("Mi", 2^20) and kibi ("ki", 2^10), corresponding to mega and kilo. Mebi is often used for file sizes, while kibi can be seen in contexts like measuring small data blocks or cache sizes in computers.