BTU to Erg Converter

A British Thermal Unit (BTU) is a unit of energy equal to approximately 1,055 joules. It represents the amount of energy needed to raise the temperature of one pound of water by one degree Fahrenheit at standard atmospheric pressure.

The BTU was developed in the 19th century as part of the British Imperial system for measuring heat energy. It became standard in heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) applications in countries using imperial units, particularly for rating heating and cooling equipment capacity.

BTUs are extensively used in the United States for HVAC system ratings, heating and cooling equipment specifications, and energy content of fuels. They're standard for furnace output ratings, air conditioner capacity, water heater specifications, and natural gas energy content measurements.

An erg is a unit of energy in the centimeter-gram-second (CGS) system, equal to 10⁻⁷ joules. It represents the work done by a force of one dyne acting through a distance of one centimeter.

The erg was developed as part of the CGS unit system in the late 19th century. It was widely used in physics and engineering before the adoption of SI units, particularly in mechanics, thermodynamics, and electromagnetic calculations where CGS units were preferred.

Ergs are rarely used in modern applications, appearing mainly in historical scientific literature and some specialized physics contexts. They've been largely replaced by joules in all practical applications, though they may still appear in some older scientific references and specialized calculations.