Voltage Converter
Voltage, the electric potential difference between two points, is fundamental to all electrical and electronic engineering. The SI unit is the volt (V), defined as one joule of energy per coulomb of charge. Different fields naturally work with different voltage scales: power distribution systems operate at kilovolts (thousands of volts), household appliances at tens to hundreds of volts, most electronics at single-digit volts, and biomedical and sensitive measurement equipment at microvolts (millionths of a volt). Older CGS (centimetre-gram-second) systems defined statvolts and abvolts, which appear in historical physics literature and specialized theoretical discussions but are rarely used today. Converting between voltage units is essential when designing circuits, analyzing power systems, troubleshooting equipment, or working with international specifications. This calculator displays seven voltage units simultaneously: microvolts, millivolts, volts, kilovolts, megavolts, statvolts, and abvolts. Type a value into any field and all others update instantly.
Voltage conversion factors
All conversions below use SI and CGS definitions, with all units expressed relative to the volt (V).
| Unit | Symbol | Volts (V) |
|---|---|---|
| Microvolt | μV | 0.000001 |
| Millivolt | mV | 0.001 |
| Volt | V | 1 |
| Kilovolt | kV | 1,000 |
| Megavolt | MV | 1,000,000 |
| Statvolt | statV | 299.792 |
| Abvolt | abV | 0.00000001 |
Voltage converter: frequently asked questions
What is voltage?
Voltage, also called electric potential difference, is the measure of electric potential energy per unit charge. The SI unit is the volt (V), defined as one joule of energy per coulomb of charge (1 V = 1 J/C). It represents the 'push' or force that drives electric current through a circuit. Voltage is essential in all electrical and electronic systems.
What are the common voltage units and their uses?
The volt (V) is the SI unit. Millivolts (mV) are used in small-signal electronics and biomedical devices (brain activity, muscle signals). Microvolts (μV) appear in ultra-sensitive measurements. Kilovolts (kV) and megavolts (MV) are used in high-voltage power transmission and industrial applications. Older CGS units like statvolts and abvolts appear in historical literature and specialized physics.
What is a statvolt?
A statvolt (statV) is a CGS electrostatic unit of voltage equal to approximately 299.792 volts. It is rarely used in modern applications but appears in older physics literature, particularly in discussions of electrostatic phenomena and capacitance in CGS units.
What is an abvolt?
An abvolt (abV) is a CGS electromagnetic unit of voltage equal to 10^-8 volts (0.00000001 V). It is an extremely small voltage unit and is almost never used in modern practice. It appears only in historical scientific texts or specialized theoretical discussions of electromagnetic systems in CGS units.
Why would I need different voltage units?
Different fields and applications naturally work with different voltage scales. Power engineers deal with kilovolts and megavolts. Electronics engineers work with volts and millivolts. Biomedical engineers measure microvolts. Having appropriate units makes calculations simpler and errors less likely. This calculator lets you convert instantly between any scale.
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.