Enter a voltage value and select its unit. Formula: Volts = Value × Unit Factor, then each target unit = Volts ÷ Target Factor.
Results are for reference and estimation only. Verify all values before use in any electrical design or measurement work. See full disclaimer below.
Common real-world voltages, mapped to millivolts and kilovolts, with a typical application for each. Use this to sanity-check a calculated result at a glance.
| Volts | Millivolts | Kilovolts | Typical Application |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.5 | 1,500 | 0.0015 | AA / AAA battery cell |
| 3.3 | 3,300 | 0.0033 | Microcontroller logic level |
| 5 | 5,000 | 0.005 | USB power |
| 9 | 9,000 | 0.009 | PP3 battery, guitar pedals, smoke detectors |
| 12 | 12,000 | 0.012 | Automotive / marine battery |
| 24 | 24,000 | 0.024 | Industrial control circuits, solar battery banks |
| 48 | 48,000 | 0.048 | Telecom systems, EV low-voltage packs |
| 120 | 120,000 | 0.12 | US / Canada household outlet |
| 230 | 230,000 | 0.23 | EU / UK household outlet |
| 480 | 480,000 | 0.48 | Three-phase industrial supply |
| 4,160 | 4,160,000 | 4.16 | Medium-voltage distribution feeder |
| 138,000 | 138,000,000 | 138 | Sub-transmission line |
Three real-world conversion scenarios, worked step by step. Click "Load This Example" to run it in the calculator above.
A deeper look at where each voltage unit on this page comes from — the SI-prefixed units used in everyday electrical work, and the legacy CGS units still found in physics literature and older instrumentation.
SI-Prefixed Units (Nanovolts through Megavolts)
Volts, Millivolts, Microvolts, Nanovolts, Centivolts, Decivolts, Kilovolts, and Megavolts are all the same underlying unit — the volt — scaled by a power of ten. This is the International System of Units (SI) convention, and it's what nearly all modern meters, datasheets, and nameplates use. Because every SI conversion is an exact power of ten, there is no rounding error going between any two of these units.
Statvolt (≈ 299.792458 V)
The statvolt is the unit of electric potential in the electrostatic (Gaussian/CGS) system, still used in some physics and electromagnetics literature. Its value in volts is tied to the exact value of the speed of light constant, which is why different sources may round the statvolt-to-volt conversion very slightly differently.
Abvolt (1 × 10⁻⁸ V)
The abvolt is the unit of electric potential in the electromagnetic (EMU/CGS) system. Unlike the statvolt, it is defined as an exact power of ten relative to the volt, so the abvolt-to-volt conversion is always precise. It appears mainly in older laboratory instrumentation and legacy physics references.
| Unit | Symbol | Value in Volts | Common Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nanovolt | nV | 1 × 10⁻⁹ | Amplifier noise floor specs |
| Microvolt | µV | 1 × 10⁻⁶ | Biomedical sensors (EEG, ECG) |
| Millivolt | mV | 1 × 10⁻³ | Thermocouples, small-signal electronics |
| Centivolt | cV | 1 × 10⁻² | Rarely used outside academic exercises |
| Decivolt | dV | 1 × 10⁻¹ | Rarely used outside academic exercises |
| Volt | V | 1 | SI base unit — meters, batteries, general use |
| Kilovolt | kV | 1 × 10³ | Distribution and transmission lines |
| Megavolt | MV | 1 × 10⁶ | Utility-scale engineering summaries |
| Statvolt | statV | ≈ 299.792458 | Physics / electrostatics (CGS-ESU) |
| Abvolt | abV | 1 × 10⁻⁸ | Legacy lab instrumentation (CGS-EMU) |
This guide is provided for educational and reference purposes. Always confirm measured voltage values against a properly calibrated meter or instrument before relying on them for any electrical work.