Tanjima Hossain
The CONVERT function is an Excel Engineering function, and it will convert units from one measurement system to another.
In this article, you will get to know the introduction and usage of the CONVERT function in Excel.
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CONVERT Function: Syntax & Arguments
⦿ Function Objective
The CONVERT function converts a number from one measurement system to another.
⦿ Syntax
CONVERT(number, from_unit, to_unit)
⦿ Arguments
| Argument | Required/Optional | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| number | Required | The value which you want to convert from one unit to another |
| from_unit | Required | The unit from which you want to convert |
| to_unit | Required | The unit to which you want to convert |
⦿ Return Value
After Entering the function, it will give you the value in the unit which you wanted.
⦿ Version
The CONVERT function is introduced in Excel 2003 version and available for all versions after that.
Measurement Systems
In the following, we have provided some lists of the symbols used in Excel for the conversion of units.
Weight and mass
| Weight and mass | Unit |
|---|---|
| Gram | “g” |
| Slug | “sg” |
| Pound mass (avoirdupois) | “lbm” |
| U (atomic mass unit) | “u” |
| Ounce mass (avoirdupois) | “ozm” |
| Grain | “grain” |
| U.S. (short) hundredweight | “cwt” or “shweight” |
| Imperial hundredweight | “uk_cwt” or “lcwt” (“hweight”) |
| Stone | “stone” |
| Ton | “ton” |
| Imperial ton | “uk_ton” or “LTON” (“brton”) |
Distance
| Distance | Unit |
|---|---|
| Meter | “m” |
| Statute mile | “mi” |
| Nautical mile | “Nmi” |
| Inch | “in” |
| Foot | “ft” |
| Yard | “yd” |
| Angstrom | “ang” |
| Ell | “ell” |
| Light-year | “ly” |
| Parsec | “parsec” or “pc” |
| Pica (1/72 inch) | “Picapt” or “Pica” |
| Pica (1/6 inch) | “pica” |
| U.S survey mile (statute mile) | “survey_mi” |
Time
| Time | Unit |
|---|---|
| Year | “yr” |
| Day | “day” or “d” |
| Hour | “hr” |
| Minute | “mn” or “min” |
| Second | “sec” or “s” |
Pressure
| Pressure | Unit |
|---|---|
| Pascal | “Pa” (or “p”) |
| Atmosphere | “atm” (or “at”) |
| mm of Mercury | “mmHg” |
| PSI | “psi” |
| Torr | “Torr” |
Force
| Force | Unit |
|---|---|
| Newton | “N” |
| Dyne | “dyn” (or “dy”) |
| Pound force | “lbf” |
| Pond | “pond” |
Energy
| Energy | Unit |
|---|---|
| Joule | “J” |
| Erg | “e” |
| Thermodynamic calorie | “c” |
| IT calorie | “cal” |
| Electron volt | “eV” (or “ev”) |
| Horsepower-hour | “HPh” (or “hh”) |
| Watt-hour | “Wh” (or “wh”) |
| Foot-pound | “flb” |
| BTU | “BTU” (or “btu”) |
Power
| Power | Unit |
|---|---|
| Horsepower | “HP” (or “h”) |
| Pferdestärke | “PS” |
| Watt | “W” (or “w”) |
Magnetism
| Magnetism | Unit |
|---|---|
| Tesla | “T” |
| Gauss | “ga” |
Temperature
| Temperature | Unit |
|---|---|
| Degree Celsius | “C” (or “cel”) |
| Degree Fahrenheit | “F” (or “fah”) |
| Kelvin | “K” (or “kel”) |
| Degrees Rankine | “Rank” |
| Degrees Réaumur | “Reau” |
Liquid Measure
| Liquid Measure | Unit |
|---|---|
| Teaspoon | “tsp” |
| Modern teaspoon | “tspm” |
| Tablespoon | “tbs” |
| Fluid ounce | “oz” |
| Cup | “cup” |
| U.S. pint | “pt” (or “us_pt”) |
| U.K. pint | “uk_pt” |
| Quart | “qt” |
| Imperial quart (U.K.) | “uk_qt” |
| Gallon | “gal” |
| Imperial gallon (U.K.) | “uk_gal” |
| Liter | “l” or “L” (“lt”) |
Volume
| Volume | Unit |
|---|---|
| Cubic angstrom | “ang3” or “ang^3” |
| U.S. oil barrel | “barrel” |
| U.S. bushel | “bushel” |
| Cubic feet | “ft3” or “ft^3” |
| Cubic inch | “in3” or “in^3” |
| Cubic light-year | “ly3” or “ly^3” |
| Cubic meter | “m3” or “m^3” |
| Cubic Mile | “mi3” or “mi^3” |
| Cubic yard | “yd3” or “yd^3” |
| Cubic nautical mile | “Nmi3” or “Nmi^3” |
| Cubic Pica | “Picapt3”, “Picapt^3”, “Pica3” or “Pica^3” |
| Gross Registered Ton | “GRT” (“regton”) |
| Measurement ton (freight ton) | “MTON” |
Area
| Area | Unit |
|---|---|
| International acre | “uk_acre” |
| U.S. survey/statute acre | “us_acre” |
| Square angstrom | “ang2″ or “ang^2” |
| Are | “ar” |
| Square feet | “ft2” or “ft^2” |
| Hectare | “ha” |
| Square inches | “in2” or “in^2” |
| Square light-year | “ly2” or “ly^2” |
| Square meters | “m2” or “m^2” |
| Morgen | “Morgen” |
| Square miles | “mi2” or “mi^2” |
| Square nautical miles | “Nmi2” or “Nmi^2” |
| Square Pica | “Picapt2”, “Pica2”, “Pica^2” or “Picapt^2” |
| Square yards | “yd2” or “yd^2” |
Information
| Information | Unit |
|---|---|
| Bit | “bit” |
| Byte | “byte” |
Metric Prefixes
The prefixes shown in the table below can be used with metric units by prepending the abbreviation to the unit.
| Prefix | Multiplier | Abbreviation |
|---|---|---|
| yotta | 1E+24 | “Y” |
| zetta | 1E+21 | “Z” |
| exa | 1E+18 | “E” |
| peta | 1E+15 | “P” |
| tera | 1E+12 | “T” |
| giga | 1000000000 | “G” |
| mega | 1000000 | “M” |
| kilo | 1000 | “k” |
| hecto | 100 | “h” |
| dekao | 10 | “da” or “e” |
| deci | 0.1 | “d” |
| centi | 0.01 | “c” |
| milli | 0.001 | “m” |
| micro | 0.000001 | “u” |
| nano | 0.000000001 | “n” |
| pico | 1E-12 | “p” |
| femto | 1E-15 | “f” |
| atto | 1E-18 | “a” |
| zepto | 1E-21 | “z” |
| yocto | 1E-24 | “y” |
Binary Prefixes
The binary unit prefixes below can be used with “bits” and “bytes”.
| Binary Prefix | Value | Abbreviation | Decimal |
|---|---|---|---|
| yobi | 2^80 | “Yi” | yotta |
| zebi | 2^70 | “Zi” | zetta |
| exbi | 2^60 | “Ei” | exa |
| pebi | 2^50 | “Pi” | peta |
| tebi | 2^40 | “Ti” | tera |
| gibi | 2^30 | “Gi” | giga |
| mebi | 2^20 | “Mi” | mega |
| kibi | 2^10 | “ki” | kilo |
10 Examples of Using The CONVERT Function in Excel
Here, we have used the following two tables for demonstrating some application of the CONVERT function in Excel.
For creating the article, we have used Microsoft Excel 365 version, you can use any other versions according to your convenience.
1. Converting Temperature from Degree Celsius to Degree Fahrenheit
Here, we will convert the temperature from Degree Celsius to Degree Fahrenheit by using the CONVERT function.
➤Select the output cell D5
➤Type the following formula
=CONVERT(C5,"C","F")Here, C5 is the temperature in Degree Celsius, “C” is for Degree Celsius and “F” is for Degree Fahrenheit.
CONVERT will convert the temperature from Degree Celsius to Degree Fahrenheit.
➤Press ENTER
➤Drag down the Fill Handle Tool
Result:
In this way, you will convert the temperature from Degree Celsius to Degree Fahrenheit.
Similarly, you can get the result by inserting direct input instead of reference like below.
=CONVERT(132.4,"C","F")
2. Converting Pressure from PSI to Pascal
You can convert pressure from the PSI unit to the Pascal unit by using the CONVERT function.
➤Select the output cell D5
➤Type the following formula
=CONVERT(C5,"psi","Pa")Here, C5 is the pressure in PSI, “psi” is for PSI and “Pa” is for Pascal.
CONVERT will convert the pressure from PSI to Pascal.
➤Press ENTER
➤Drag down the Fill Handle Tool
Result:
After that, you will convert the pressure from PSI to Pascal.
3. Converting Volume from Liter to Cubic Meter Using CONVERT Function
In this section, we will convert the volume of the substances from Liter to Cubic Meter.
➤Select the output cell D5
➤Type the following formula
=CONVERT(C5,"l","m^3")Here, C5 is the volume in Liter, “l” is for Liter and “m^3” is for Cubic Meter.
CONVERT will convert the volume from Liter to Cubic Meter.
➤Press ENTER
➤Drag down the Fill Handle Tool
Result:
Then, you will get the volume converted from Liter to Cubic Meter.
4. Converting Weight from Pound Mass to Gram
You can convert the Weight of the participants from Pound Mass to Gram by using the CONVERT function.
➤Select the output cell D5
➤Type the following formula
=CONVERT(C5,"lbm","g")Here, C5 is the weight in Pound Mass, “lbm” is for Pound Mass and “g” is for Gram.
CONVERT will convert the weight from Pound Mass to Gram.
➤Press ENTER
➤Drag down the Fill Handle Tool
Result:
In this way, you will convert the weight from Pound Mass to Gram.
5. Converting Distance from Meter to Yard
Here, we will convert the distance covered by the participants from Meter to Yard by using the CONVERT function.
➤Select the output cell D5
➤Type the following formula
=CONVERT(C5,"m","yd")Here, C5 is the length of the distance in Meter, “m” is for Meter, and “yd” is for Yard.
CONVERT will convert the weight from Meter to Yard.
➤Press ENTER
➤Drag down the Fill Handle Tool
Result:
Afterward, you will get the distance converted from Meter to Yard.
6. Converting Area from Square Meter to Square Yard Using CONVERT Function
You can convert the area from the Square Meter unit to the Square Yard unit by using the CONVERT function.
➤Select the output cell D5
➤Type the following formula
=CONVERT(C5,"m^2","yd^2")Here, C5 is the area in Square Meter, “m^2” is for Square Meter and “yd^2” is for Square Yard.
CONVERT will convert the area from Square Meter to Square Yard.
➤Press ENTER
➤Drag down the Fill Handle Tool
Result:
In this way, you will get the area converted from Square Meter to Square Yard.
You can get the above result by using the following formula also.
=CONVERT(CONVERT(10000,"m","yd"),"m","yd")Here, 10000 is the area in the Square Meter unit, CONVERT(10000,”m”,”yd”) will convert Meter to Yard and it is the length conversion. After that again using CONVERT to the value, which is obtained from the previous conversion, will turn the length conversion into the area conversion.
7. Converting Time from Minute to Second
Here, we will convert the time required by the participants in the competition from Minute to Second by using the CONVERT function.
➤Select the output cell D5
➤Type the following formula
=CONVERT(C5,"mn","sec")Here, C5 is the time in Minute, “mn” is for Minute, and “sec” is for Second.
CONVERT will convert the time from Minute to Second.
➤Press ENTER
➤Drag down the Fill Handle Tool
Result:
After that, you will convert the time from Minute to Second.
8. Converting Speed from Meter Per Second to Mile Per Hour
You can change the unit of the speed of the participants from Meter Per Second to Mile Per Hour.
➤Select the output cell D5
➤Type the following formula
=CONVERT(C5,"m/s","mph")Here, C5 is the speed in Meter Per Second, “m/s” is for Meter Per Second and “mph” is for Mile Per Hour.
CONVERT will convert the speed from Meter Per Second to Mile Per Hour.
➤Press ENTER
➤Drag down the Fill Handle Tool
Result:
In this way, you will change the speed from Meter Per Second to Mile Per Hour.
9. Using CONVERT Function in a Formula
Here, we have distance in the Meter unit but the time in the Minute unit which is not in the S.I. system of units. So, for calculating speed from these two values we have to convert Minute to Second (S.I. unit) by using the CONVERT function.
➤Select the output cell E5
➤Type the following formula
=C5/CONVERT(D5,"mn","sec")Here, C5 is the Distance in Meter and D5 is the Time in Minute, “mn” is for Minute, and “sec” is for Second.
CONVERT will convert the time from Minute to Second.
Finally, we will divide the Distance by Time to get the speed.
➤Press ENTER
➤Drag down the Fill Handle Tool
Result:
Afterward, you will get the Speed in Meter Per Second for the participants.
10. Using CONVERT Function in a VBA Code
You can use the CONVERT function in the VBA code also.
➤Go to Developer Tab>>Visual Basic Option
Then, the Visual Basic Editor will open up.
➤Go to Insert Tab>> Module Option
After that, a Module will be created.
➤Write the following code
Sub cnvrt()
Range("D5") = Application.WorksheetFunction.Convert((Range("C5")), "m", "yd")
Range("D6") = Application.WorksheetFunction.Convert((Range("C6")), "m", "yd")
Range("D7") = Application.WorksheetFunction.Convert((Range("C7")), "m", "yd")
Range("D8") = Application.WorksheetFunction.Convert((Range("C8")), "m", "yd")
Range("D9") = Application.WorksheetFunction.Convert((Range("C9")), "m", "yd")
Range("D10") = Application.WorksheetFunction.Convert((Range("C10")), "m", "yd")
End SubCONVERT will convert the distance of the cells C5 to C10 of Column C from Meter to Yard and we will get the outputs in corresponding cells of Column D.
➤Press F5
Result:
Then, you will get the distance converted from Meter to Yard.
Things to Notice
🔺This function is a case-sensitive function.
🔺For a non-recognizable unit string CONVERT function will return the #N/A error.
🔺If the two units used as arguments are not compatible with each other then you will get the #N/A error.
🔺For an invalid number CONVERT function will return the #VALUE! error.
Practice Section
For doing practice by yourself we have provided a Practice section like below in a sheet named Practice. Please do it by yourself.
Conclusion
In this article, we tried to cover the introduction and usage of the CONVERT function in Excel. Hope you will find it useful. If you have any suggestions or questions, feel free to share them in the comment section.
