Resistance Converter
Electrical resistance, the opposition to electric current flow, is measured in ohms (Ω) in the SI system, where one ohm equals one volt per ampere. Electronics components have wide-ranging resistances: conductors like copper wires have microohms, typical resistors span kilohms and megohms, and insulators reach gigohms. The choice of unit depends on the application context. Electronics designers use kilohms and megohms when specifying resistors, signal conditioning circuits, and biasing networks. Power engineers and battery designers work with milliohms and microohms when analyzing voltage drops and power dissipation in conductors. High-impedance amplifiers and measurement circuits deal in gigohms and statohms. Ohm's Law (V = I * R) relates voltage, current, and resistance; understanding and converting between resistance units is essential for circuit design, troubleshooting, and component selection. This calculator displays eight resistance units simultaneously: microohms, milliohms, ohms, kilohms, megohms, gigohms, statohms, and abohms. Type a value into any field and all others update instantly.
Resistance conversion factors
All conversions below use SI and CGS definitions, with all units expressed relative to the ohm (Ω).
| Unit | Symbol | Ohms (Ω) |
|---|---|---|
| Microohm | μΩ | 0.000001 |
| Milliohm | mΩ | 0.001 |
| Ohm | Ω | 1 |
| Kilohm | kΩ | 1,000 |
| Megohm | MΩ | 1,000,000 |
| Gigohm | GΩ | 1,000,000,000 |
| Statohm | statΩ | 8.98755 x 10^11 |
| Abohm | abΩ | 0.000000001 |
Resistance converter: frequently asked questions
What is electrical resistance?
Electrical resistance is the opposition to the flow of electric current through a material or component. The SI unit is the ohm (Ω), defined as one volt per ampere (1 Ω = 1 V/A). All materials and components have some resistance; conductors like copper have very low resistance, while insulators have very high resistance.
What are the common resistance units?
The ohm (Ω) is the SI unit. Kilohms (kΩ) are used in most electronics and signal circuits. Megohms (MΩ) and gigohms (GΩ) measure very high resistances in insulators and high-impedance circuits. Milliohms (mΩ) and microohms (μΩ) measure very small resistances in conductors and precision measurements.
What is Ohm's Law?
Ohm's Law states that voltage equals current multiplied by resistance: V = I * R. Rearranged, R = V / I and I = V / R. This fundamental law underlies all electrical circuit analysis and design. A typical resistor might be 10 kilohms (10,000 ohms), which at 5 volts would permit 0.5 milliamperes of current.
What is the difference between a statohm and an abohm?
The statohm is a CGS electrostatic unit of resistance equal to approximately 8.99 x 10^11 ohms (898 billion ohms). The abohm is a CGS electromagnetic unit equal to 10^-9 ohms. These units are almost never used in modern practice but appear in historical physics literature.
Why do component values use kilohms and megohms?
Resistor manufacturers use kilohms and megohms because they make the numbers more manageable. A resistor might be labeled 10 kΩ instead of 10,000 Ω or 4.7 MΩ instead of 4,700,000 Ω. This convention reduces errors and makes datasheets easier to read. The same principle applies to capacitance and inductance units.
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.