Electric Potential Converter

Electric potential, or voltage (V), is the energy each unit of charge gains or loses between two points: one volt is one joule per coulomb. It is what pushes current around a circuit. Its SI unit is the volt (V).

For a sense of scale: a nerve cell's resting voltage is about 70 mV, an AA battery 1.5 V, a car battery 12 V, mains electricity 120 V or 230 V, and overhead power lines hundreds of kilovolts.

How to convert voltage units

Type a value into any field, and every other unit is calculated at once. Each metric prefix is a factor of 1,000. For example, 11 kV:

1. In volts: multiply by 1,000.

   11 * 1,000 = 11,000 V

2. In millivolts: multiply by 1,000,000.

   11 * 1,000,000 = 11,000,000 mV

Common conversions

Voltage units

• Volt (V): The volt is the unit of electric potential, electric potential difference, and electromotive force in the International System of Units (SI). A volt is the electric potential difference across a conductor when a current of one ampere results in a power dissipation of one watt.
  Conversion Factor: 1 V = 1 V (Base Unit)

• Kilovolt (kV): One kilovolt is equal to 1,000 volts.
  Conversion Factor: 1 kV = 1,000 V

• Millivolt (mV): One millivolt is equal to one-thousandth of a volt.
  Conversion Factor: 1 mV = 0.001 V

• Microvolt (μV): A microvolt is one-millionth of a volt.
  Conversion Factor: 1 μV = 0.000001 V

• Watt / Ampere (W/A): A watt per ampere is the ratio of power (in watts) to current (in amperes). It is equivalent to volt.
  Conversion Factor: 1 W/A = 1 V

• Abvolt (abV): The abvolt is a CGS unit of electric potential. One abvolt is equal to 1/100,000,000 volts.
  Conversion Factor: 1 abV = 0.00000001 V

• EMU of Electric Potential (EMU): The electromagnetic unit of electric potential is equivalent to abvolt.
  Conversion Factor: 1 EMU = 1 abV

• Statvolt (statV): The statvolt is another CGS unit of electric potential. One statvolt is equal to 299.79 volts.
  Conversion Factor: 1 statV ≈ 299.79 V

• ESU of Electric Potential (ESU): The electrostatic unit of electric potential is equivalent to statvolt.
  Conversion Factor: 1 ESU = 1 statV

Frequently asked questions

How do volts relate to watts and amps?

Power is voltage times current: P = V * I. A 12 V device drawing 2 A uses 24 W. The Ohm's Law Calculator works with all four.