The metric system uses a unit called the watt to measure power, similar to the way Americans express power in terms of horsepower. The megawatt, abbreviated to MW, is a larger unit of power used for rating heavy-duty engines such as those that power aircraft or large seagoing vessels. The kilowatt, abbreviated to kW, is generally used to express the power of smaller engines, like those that power cars or motorcycles.
Instructions
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1
Establish the number of megawatts you wish to convert to kilowatts.
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2
Multiply the number of megawatts by 1,000 since a thousand kilowatts equals one megawatt.
For example, suppose you wish to convert 23 megawatts to kilowatts. Multiply 23 times 1,000, and your product is 23,000 kilowatts.
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3
Check your work by dividing your answer by 1,000. If you arrive at your original number of megawatts, you have done your work properly.