CalcKit
Surface Charge Density Converter
Surface charge density, written σ (sigma), is the electric charge per area of a surface: σ = Q / A. Its SI unit is the coulomb per square meter (C/m²). It describes the charge on a capacitor plate or on a charged conductor, where the charge sits on the surface.
The abcoulomb (abC) is the charge unit of the CGS electromagnetic system, and 1 abC = 10 C.
How to convert surface charge density
Type a value into any field, and every other unit is calculated at once. An area unit is a length unit squared, so its factor is squared too: a meter is 100 cm, so a square meter is 10,000 cm². For example, 3 C/in²:
-
In C/m²: a square meter is about 1,550 square inches.
3 * 1,550 = 4,650 C/m² -
In C/cm²: a square inch is 6.4516 cm².
3 / 6.4516 = 0.465 C/cm²
Common conversions
| Value | Equals |
|---|---|
| 1 C/cm² | 10,000 C/m² |
| 1 C/m² | 0.0001 C/cm² |
| 1 C/in² | 1,550 C/m² |
| 1 abC/m² | 10 C/m² |
| 1 abC/cm² | 100,000 C/m² |
Surface charge density units
-
Coulomb per square meter (C/m²): This is the SI unit of surface charge density and represents the amount of charge in coulombs distributed over one square meter of surface area.
Conversion Factor: 1 C/m² = 1 C/m² (Base Unit) -
Coulomb per square centimeter (C/cm²): This unit is commonly used in practical applications, particularly in microelectronics and thin-film technologies. It represents the amount of charge in coulombs distributed over one square centimeter of surface area.
Conversion Factor: 1 C/cm² = 10,000 C/m² -
Coulomb per square inch (C/in²): This unit is primarily used in some engineering applications in countries that still use the imperial system. It represents the amount of charge in coulombs distributed over one square inch of surface area.
Conversion Factor: 1 C/in² = 1,550 C/m² -
Abcoulomb per square meter (abC/m²): The abcoulomb is a less common unit of charge used in the CGS (centimeter-gram-second) system.
Conversion Factor: 1 abC/m² = 10 C/m² -
Abcoulomb per square centimeter (abC/cm²): This unit is the CGS counterpart of C/cm² and represents the amount of charge in abcoulombs distributed over one square centimeter of surface area.
Conversion Factor: 1 abC/cm² = 10,000 abC/m² = 100,000 C/m² -
Abcoulomb per square inch (abC/in²): This unit is the cgs counterpart of C/in² and represents the amount of charge in abcoulombs distributed over one square inch of surface area.
Conversion Factor: 1 abC/in² = 1,550 abC/m² = 15,500 C/m²