Watt [W] to Gigawatt [GW] Converter

Definition: The watt (W) is the derived unit of power in the International System of Units (SI). It is defined as one joule per second and represents the rate at which energy is transferred or converted.

History/origin: The watt is named in honor of Scottish inventor James Watt, who significantly improved the steam engine. The unit was adopted by the Second Congress of the British Association for the Advancement of Science in 1882.

Current use: Watts are used universally to measure power consumption and generation in electrical and mechanical systems. It is a fundamental unit for specifying the power rating of appliances, light bulbs, and engines.

Definition: A gigawatt (GW) is a unit of power equal to one billion (10⁹) watts. It is a multiple of the base unit, the watt, in the International System of Units (SI).

History/origin: The watt is named in honor of Scottish inventor James Watt. The gigawatt, as a decimal multiple of the watt, was derived as a very large unit for measuring the power output of massive systems.

Current use: Gigawatts are used to measure the total power generation capacity of countries, very large power plants (like nuclear or hydroelectric), and global energy consumption trends. It's used for expressing power on a very large, macroscopic scale.