Current Converter
Electric current, the flow of charge through a conductor, is measured in amperes (A) in the SI system, defined as one coulomb of charge passing a point per second. Different fields work naturally with different current scales: household electrical systems carry tens to hundreds of amperes; consumer electronics operate at milliamperes; sensitive measurement equipment deals in microamperes and nanoamperes; and industrial power systems may reach kiloamperes or megaamperes. The choice of unit depends on the application and the magnitude of current involved. Older CGS (centimetre-gram-second) systems used statamperes (electrostatic) and abamperes (electromagnetic), which appear in historical physics literature. Converting between current units is essential when designing circuits, selecting components, analyzing power consumption, and troubleshooting electrical systems. This calculator displays eight current units simultaneously: nanoamperes, microamperes, milliamperes, amperes, kiloamperes, megaamperes, statamperes, and abamperes. Type a value into any field and all others update instantly.
Current conversion factors
All conversions below use SI and CGS definitions, with all units expressed relative to the ampere (A).
| Unit | Symbol | Amperes (A) |
|---|---|---|
| Nanoampere | nA | 0.000000001 |
| Microampere | μA | 0.000001 |
| Milliampere | mA | 0.001 |
| Ampere | A | 1 |
| Kiloampere | kA | 1,000 |
| Megaampere | MA | 1,000,000 |
| Statampere | statA | 3.33564 x 10^-10 |
| Abampere | Bi | 10 |
Current converter: frequently asked questions
What is electric current?
Electric current is the flow of electric charge through a conductor. The SI unit is the ampere (A), defined as one coulomb of charge flowing past a point per second (1 A = 1 C/s). Current is fundamental to all electrical and electronic devices, from household appliances to industrial motors and microelectronic circuits.
What are the common current units?
The ampere (A) is the SI base unit. Milliamperes (mA) are used in most electronics and signal circuits. Microamperes (μA) measure very small currents in precision instruments. Nanoamperes (nA) are used in sensitive measurements. Kiloamperes (kA) and megaamperes (MA) are used in industrial power systems and high-current applications like arc welding.
What is the difference between a statampere and an abampere?
The statampere is a CGS electrostatic unit equal to about 3.3 nanoamperes (3.3 x 10^-10 A). The abampere (also called the biot) is a CGS electromagnetic unit equal to 10 amperes. Both are rarely used today but appear in older physics literature.
Why do battery manufacturers use milliamperes instead of amperes?
A typical AA battery might supply 0.3 to 2.8 amperes depending on the load, which is more naturally expressed as 300 to 2,800 milliamperes. The unit choice reflects the scale of typical measurements in the field. A smartphone might draw 0.5 to 2 amperes during use, naturally expressed as 500 to 2,000 milliamperes.
What is a nanoampere and where is it used?
A nanoampere (nA) is one billionth of an ampere (10^-9 A). It is used to measure extremely small currents in precision electronics, biomedical measurements (nerve impulses), and sensitive physics experiments. Leakage currents in high-impedance circuits are often measured in nanoamperes.
Official sources
- SI Brochure (9th edition, 2019): The International System of Units. BIPM.
- NIST Special Publication 330: The International System of Units (SI).
Reviewed by the CalculatorHub team, edited by James Graham, 14 June 2026. See our methodology.