How to Convert Joules Per Centimeter Squared to Foot Pounds

High energy light sources can damage your sight in less than a second, according to a 2009 consumer guide published by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Calculations from the University of Nebraska--Lincoln show that a typical laser pointer projects light into your eye with an intensity more than 300,000 times greater than a standard 60-watt bulb. Scientists measure energy in joules, a metric measure, or foot pounds, more commonly used in America. You can convert the intensity of energy in joules per square centimeter to foot pounds once you know the surface area on which the energy falls.

Instructions

1. • 1

     Measure the dimensions, in centimeters, of the surface that will be exposed to the energy source. Calculate the surface area in square centimeters. Record your answer.

   • 2

     Note the intensity value to be converted. Check that it is given in joules per square centimeter.

   • 3

     Multiply the intensity value by the surface area. Record your answer, which is the total energy falling on the surface, expressed in joules.

   • 4

     Divide your answer by 1.356, the number of joules in 1 foot pound. Record the result, which is the amount of energy falling on the surface, converted to foot pounds.