Liter-atmosphere (L⋅atm)
Exactly 101.325 joules, the work of expanding a gas by one liter against one standard atmosphere.
1 liter-atmosphere = 101.325 joules (exactly).
About the liter-atmosphere
Pressure times volume has the dimensions of energy, which is why gas chemists found it convenient to multiply a pressure in atmospheres by a volume in litres. One litre-atmosphere is 1 atm acting over 1 L, and the figure used here is 101.325 J. The arithmetic is simple: the standard atmosphere is 101,325 Pa, and a litre is 0.001 cubic metre, so the product is 101.325 pascal-cubic-metres, which is joules.
The atmosphere in this definition goes back to the barometer, being first set by a 760 mm column of mercury at 0 degrees Celsius. The tenth General Conference on Weights and Measures in 1954 fixed it as exactly 1,013,250 dynes per square centimetre, with no dependence on any substance. In 1982 IUPAC moved its reference pressure for substance data to 100 kPa. Expressed in thermochemical calories, one litre-atmosphere is about 24.2 cal.
Sources: Wikipedia: Conversion of units of energy; Wikipedia: Atmosphere (unit); Wikipedia: Calorie
Liter-atmosphere conversion chart
1 liter-atmosphere expressed in every other energy unit:
| Unit | 1 liter-atmosphere |
|---|---|
| Joules | 101.325 |
| Kilojoules | 0.101325 |
| Watt-hours | 0.02814583333 |
| Kilowatt-hours | 0.00002814583333 |
| British Thermal Units | 0.09603756972 |
| Calories | 24.21725621 |
| Kilocalories | 0.02421725621 |
| Megajoules | 0.000101325 |
| Gigajoules | 1.01325×10⁻⁷ |
| Megawatt-hours | 2.814583333×10⁻⁸ |
| Foot-pounds | 74.73348478 |
| Millijoules | 101,325 |
| Electronvolts | 6.32420907×10²⁰ |
| Kiloelectronvolts | 6.32420907×10¹⁷ |
| Megaelectronvolts | 632,420,906,969,737 |
| Gigaelectronvolts | 632,420,906,970 |
| Tons Of TNT | 2.421725621×10⁻⁸ |
| Tonnes Of Oil Equivalent | 2.420106048×10⁻⁹ |
| Therms | 9.606050034×10⁻⁷ |
| Quads | 9.603756972×10⁻¹⁷ |
| Ergs | 1,013,250,000 |
| Calories (IT) | 24.20106048 |
| Kilogram-force Meters | 10.33227453 |
| Horsepower-hours | 0.00003774418423 |
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