Quick answer
Electrical unit conversion applies SI prefixes to a base unit. 1 kilovolt (kV) equals 1,000 volts (V).
Enter a value, choose the unit and the target. The calculator returns the converted electrical quantity. Use this electrical units converter to check your own figures.
Related tools: Weight Converter: Convert kilograms, pounds, ounces, stone and more.
How to use the Electrical Units Converter
- Enter value.
- Choose from: Volt (V), Millivolt (mV), Microvolt (µV), Kilovolt (kV), Megavolt (MV) and Gigavolt (GV) and 31 more.
- Choose to: Volt (V), Millivolt (mV), Microvolt (µV), Kilovolt (kV), Megavolt (MV) and Gigavolt (GV) and 31 more.
- Enter decimal places (between 0 and 10). It starts at 4.
- Press Calculate to see the result, and use Reset to start again.
| Input | What to enter | Allowed values |
|---|---|---|
| Value | A number | — |
| From | Choose one: Volt (V); Millivolt (mV); Microvolt (µV); Kilovolt (kV); Megavolt (MV); Gigavolt (GV); Ampere (A); Milliampere (mA); … | Starts at Volt (V) |
| To | Choose one: Volt (V); Millivolt (mV); Microvolt (µV); Kilovolt (kV); Megavolt (MV); Gigavolt (GV); Ampere (A); Milliampere (mA); … | Starts at Millivolt (mV) |
| Decimal places | A number | ≥ 0, ≤ 10, starts at 4 |
Formula and method
Formula
result = value × (factor of source ÷ factor of target), base unit: SI unit of each quantity
IEEE-754 double precision; displayed to the chosen number of decimal places (default 4). Very small or large results are shown in scientific notation.
Every unit is defined by an exact or published factor to the base unit (SI unit of each quantity). The value is multiplied by the source factor and divided by the target factor. Units convert only within the same quantity (volts to millivolts, not volts to ohms).
Worked examples
These examples are verified: each one is an automated test case that the live calculator must reproduce exactly.
Example 1
Inputs: Value = 1; From = Kilovolt (kV); To = Volt (V); Decimal places = 4.
| Result | Value |
|---|---|
| Kilovolt (kV) → Volt (V) | 1,000 |
| Input | 1 Kilovolt (kV) |
Example 2
Inputs: Value = 5; From = Ampere (A); To = Milliampere (mA); Decimal places = 4.
| Result | Value |
|---|---|
| Ampere (A) → Milliampere (mA) | 5,000 |
| Input | 5 Ampere (A) |
Example 3
Inputs: Value = 4.7; From = Microfarad (µF); To = Nanofarad (nF); Decimal places = 4.
| Result | Value |
|---|---|
| Microfarad (µF) → Nanofarad (nF) | 4,700 |
| Input | 4.7 Microfarad (µF) |
The first line is the headline result (kilovolt (kV) → Volt (V)). Below it the electrical Units Converter lists input, which describe the same case from other angles. IEEE-754 double precision; displayed to the chosen number of decimal places (default 4). Very small or large results are shown in scientific notation.
Prefixes
milli = 10⁻³, micro = 10⁻⁶, kilo = 10³ and mega = 10⁶. 1 mA = 0.001 A, 1 MΩ = 1,000,000 Ω and 1 µF = 0.000001 F.
Related units
Ohm's law ties volts, amps and ohms together (V = I × R). Make sure you convert both quantities to base units before calculating with them, or the answer will be off by powers of ten.
How the result changes with value
Holding every other input at the first worked example, this table changes only value. It shows how sensitive the answer is to that one value; each row was produced by running this calculator.
| Value | Kilovolt (kV) → Volt (V) | Input |
|---|---|---|
| 0.5 | 500 | 0.5 Kilovolt (kV) |
| 1 | 1,000 | 1 Kilovolt (kV) |
| 2 | 2,000 | 2 Kilovolt (kV) |
| 4 | 4,000 | 4 Kilovolt (kV) |
What happens with invalid input
These messages are produced by the calculator itself, so you know what to fix.
- Value: left empty shows "Enter value." beside that field and no result.
- To: entering "ohm" shows "Cannot convert voltage units to resistance units." beside that field and no result.
Choosing between the Electrical Units Converter and similar calculators
Each row shows what a related calculator on this site asks for and what it returns, so you can pick the one that matches your question.
| Calculator | You enter | It returns |
|---|---|---|
| [Vitamin Units Converter (IU ⇄ µg)](/converters/other-units-converter/) | substance, convert and value | Potency |
| [Cholesterol Units Converter](/health/cholesterol-units/) | value, measurement and convert | Converted |
| [Weight Converter](/converters/weight-converter/) | value, from and to | Pound (lb) → Gram (g) |
| [Length Converter](/converters/length-converter/) | value, from and to | Mile (mi) → Kilometre (km) |
| [Time Converter](/converters/time-converter/) | value, from and to | Day (d) → Hour (h) |
Background: unit conversion
Many customary units are defined exactly in terms of metric ones: since the 1959 International Yard and Pound Agreement an inch is exactly 2.54 cm and a pound is exactly 0.45359237 kg (NIST SP 811 lists these). So most length and mass conversions are exact apart from the rounding of the displayed result.
To convert, multiply the value by the source unit's factor to reach the base unit, then divide by the target unit's factor; the unit table on this page lists every factor used. Temperature and fuel economy are the exceptions, because they are not simple multiples.
Assumptions and limitations
- Negative values are allowed
- Zero converts to zero (except L/100 km, where zero is invalid)
- Units from different quantities cannot be converted
- Very large or tiny results switch to exponent notation
If a required value is empty, not a number, or outside its allowed range, the form marks that field with a message and shows no result instead of a misleading number. The automated checks deliberately try invalid entries for value and to to confirm this.
Frequently asked questions
How many mA in an amp?
There are 1,000 milliamps in one amp.
How many volts in a megavolt?
One megavolt is 1,000,000 volts.
Is µ the same as u?
Yes, u is a plain-text substitute for µ.
What does the Electrical Units Converter calculate?
Convert prefixed volts, amps, ohms, farads, henries, coulombs and siemens. It returns Kilovolt (kV) → Volt (V) and Input.
What formula does the Electrical Units Converter use?
result = value × (factor of source ÷ factor of target), base unit: SI unit of each quantity. Every unit is defined by an exact or published factor to the base unit (SI unit of each quantity).
What is an example of a electrical Units result?
With value 1, from Kilovolt (kV), to Volt (V) and decimal places 4, the kilovolt (kV) → Volt (V) is 1,000.
Where does the method come from?
The method follows: BIPM SI Brochure (9th ed.): SI prefixes.
Related calculators
- Weight Converter — Convert kilograms, pounds, ounces, stone and more.
- Length Converter — Convert between metric and imperial lengths.
- Time Converter — Convert seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months and years.
- Speed Converter — mph, km/h, knots, m/s and ft/s.
Sources
- BIPM SI Brochure (9th ed.): SI prefixes
Content last reviewed 2026-11-04. Formulas and worked examples are checked by automated tests against independently computed values.