What is the conversion factor to use when converting flow rate from gpm to cubic feet per second?

To convert flow rate from gallons per minute (gpm) to cubic feet per second (cfs), it is essential to understand the relationship between these two units.

One gallon is equivalent to 0.133681 cubic feet. Therefore, to convert gallons per minute to cubic feet per second, you need to multiply the gpm value by the conversion factor that translates gallons to cubic feet and then adjust for the time component, since the measurement is per minute and needs to be expressed per second.

The conversion involves two parts:

1. Converting gallons to cubic feet: 1 gallon = 0.133681 cubic feet.

2. Adjusting for the unit of time: Since the original measurement is per minute and you want it per second, you divide by 60 (the number of seconds in a minute).

Putting these together, the conversion factor to go from gpm to cfs is:

(0.133681 cubic feet/gallon) / (60 seconds/minute), which yields approximately 0.002228 cubic feet per second per gallon per minute.

This means that when you have a flow rate in gallons per minute, multiplying it by 0.002228 gives you the flow rate in cubic feet per second