Convert gigawatt to petawatt
Please provide values below to convert gigawatt [GW] to petawatt [PW], or Convert petawatt to gigawatt.
How to Convert Gigawatt to Petawatt
1 GW = 1e-06 PW
Example: convert 15 GW to PW:
15 GW = 15 × 1e-06 PW = 1.5e-05 PW
Gigawatt to Petawatt Conversion Table
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Gigawatt
A gigawatt (GW) is a unit of power equal to one billion watts, used to measure large-scale electrical power generation or consumption.
History/Origin
The gigawatt was introduced as part of the metric system's adoption for expressing large power quantities, particularly in the context of electrical engineering and energy projects, becoming widely used in the 20th century with the growth of large power plants and national grids.
Current Use
Gigawatts are commonly used today to quantify the capacity of power plants, energy production, and national or regional power consumption levels, especially in the context of renewable energy projects and large-scale infrastructure.
Petawatt
A petawatt (PW) is a unit of power equal to 10^15 watts, used to measure extremely high power levels.
History/Origin
The petawatt was introduced in the 1980s as part of the SI prefixes to describe ultra-high power outputs, particularly in laser physics and astrophysics research.
Current Use
Petawatts are primarily used in scientific research involving high-intensity lasers, astrophysics, and nuclear physics to quantify extremely large power outputs.