Voltage Converter
Convert voltage between volts, kilovolts, millivolts, microvolts, abvolts, statvolts, and more with common reference points.
Voltage Converter
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Formula: Converted Value = Input x (From Unit Factor / To Unit Factor)
Worked example โ 3300 mV = 3.3 V = 3,300,000 uV = 0.0033 kV
Formula
Converted Value = Input x (From Unit Factor / To Unit Factor)
Voltage conversion uses the volt (V) as the base SI unit. Metric prefixes scale by powers of 10 (mV = 10^-3 V, kV = 10^3 V, etc.). CGS units convert through fixed physical constants: the abvolt equals 10^-8 V and the statvolt equals approximately 299.79 V. Watt per ampere is dimensionally identical to volts.
Worked Examples
Example 1: Power Supply Voltage Conversion
Problem:A sensor outputs 3300 millivolts. Express this in volts, microvolts, and kilovolts.
Solution:3300 mV to V: 3300 x 0.001 = 3.3 V 3300 mV to uV: 3300 x 1000 = 3,300,000 uV 3300 mV to kV: 3300 x 0.000001 = 0.0033 kV This is a common logic-level voltage for microcontrollers.
Result:3300 mV = 3.3 V = 3,300,000 uV = 0.0033 kV
Example 2: Transmission Line Voltage
Problem:A high-voltage transmission line operates at 345 kV. Convert to volts and megavolts.
Solution:345 kV to V: 345 x 1000 = 345,000 V 345 kV to MV: 345 / 1000 = 0.345 MV This is a standard extra-high-voltage (EHV) transmission level in North America.
Result:345 kV = 345,000 V = 0.345 MV
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a volt and how is it defined?
A volt (V) is the SI unit of electric potential difference, electromotive force, and voltage. It is defined as the potential difference across a conductor when one ampere of current dissipates one watt of power (V = W/A = J/C). Named after Italian physicist Alessandro Volta who invented the first chemical battery, the volt describes the electrical pressure that drives current through a circuit. One volt also equals one joule of energy per coulomb of charge.
What are typical voltage levels in electrical systems?
Common voltage levels vary widely by application. AA batteries produce 1.5 V, USB ports supply 5 V, car batteries provide 12 V, and US household outlets deliver 120 V RMS (170 V peak). European households use 230 V. Industrial equipment often runs on 480 V three-phase power. Power distribution lines carry 4-35 kV, and high-voltage transmission lines operate at 115-765 kV. Lightning strikes can reach hundreds of millions of volts momentarily.
What is the difference between abvolt and statvolt?
The abvolt and statvolt are CGS units of voltage from the electromagnetic and electrostatic subsystems respectively. One abvolt equals 10 nanovolts (10^-8 V), an extremely small unit from the EMU-CGS system. One statvolt equals approximately 299.79 volts, a much larger unit from the ESU-CGS system. The huge ratio between them (about 2.998 x 10^10) reflects the ratio of the speed of light in centimeters per second, linking electric and magnetic phenomena.
How does voltage relate to current and power?
Voltage, current, and power are related by fundamental electrical laws. Ohm Law states V = I x R (voltage equals current times resistance). The power equation states P = V x I (power equals voltage times current). Combining these gives P = V^2/R and P = I^2 x R. These relationships are essential for electrical engineering, circuit design, and power system calculations. Higher voltage allows the same power to be transmitted with less current, reducing losses in transmission lines.
What is the difference between RMS and peak voltage?
RMS voltage is the equivalent steady value that would dissipate the same heat in a resistor, and it is what multimeters and mains ratings quote. For a pure sine wave, peak equals RMS times the square root of two, so a 120 V RMS supply reaches about 169.7 V at the crest and 339.4 V peak to peak. Insulation and component ratings must be judged against the peak, not the RMS figure.
How do you convert dBV and dBu into volts?
Both are logarithmic voltage ratios, so V equals the reference times ten raised to the power dB divided by 20. dBV uses a 1 volt reference, so 0 dBV is exactly 1 V and -20 dBV is 0.1 V. dBu uses 0.7746 V, the voltage that produces one milliwatt in 600 ohms, so 0 dBu equals 0.7746 V. The divisor is 20 rather than 10 because these are amplitude ratios, not power ratios.
Why is voltage always measured between two points?
Voltage is a potential difference, the work per unit charge to move between two nodes, so a single point has no voltage of its own. Quoting a value implies a reference, usually the circuit common or chassis ground. That is why the same node can read 5 V or -7 V depending on where the probe leads are clipped, and why floating measurements need a differential probe rather than a single-ended one.
What is the difference between EMF and terminal voltage?
Electromotive force is the open-circuit potential a source would supply with no current drawn. Terminal voltage is what appears across the terminals under load, reduced by the drop across the source internal resistance: terminal voltage equals EMF minus current times internal resistance. A cell reading 1.5 V unloaded can sag noticeably under a heavy draw, so a converted voltage should state whether it was taken loaded or open circuit.
How do metric prefixes scale a voltage reading?
Each prefix is a fixed power of ten applied to the volt: microvolt is 1e-6 V, millivolt 1e-3 V, kilovolt 1e3 V and megavolt 1e6 V. Converting shifts the decimal point by the difference in exponents, so 4.7 kV is 4,700,000 mV. Most errors in this family are three-decade slips between milli and micro, so subtract the exponents deliberately rather than counting zeros.
Do I need to correct for probe attenuation before converting?
Yes, whenever the instrument is not told about the probe. A 10x oscilloscope probe divides the signal by ten before it reaches the input, so a displayed 1 V is really 10 V at the probe tip unless the channel attenuation setting matches. The same applies to high-voltage dividers and shunt measurements. Confirm the scaling factor first, because converting the wrong base value simply propagates a factor-of-ten error.
References
Reviewed for accuracy by Manoj Kumar, Mathematics Educator ยท Editorial policy
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