Calculator
What the Electric Field Converter does
Electric Field Converter: 1 V/m = 0.001 kV/m, so multiply a volt per metre value by 0.001 to get kilovolt per metre, or divide to go back. Example: 1 V/m = 0.001 kV/m.
Give the Electric Field Converter your Value, From and To and it works out Result, How it was calculated and Reverse conversion. There is no submit step; the numbers move as you adjust them.
It is mostly used by engineers checking a datasheet. Converting once from the original figure beats chaining approximations.
Nothing leaves the tab. You can watch your browser network panel while you use it and see for yourself.
The field table, the method and a worked example are documented after the tool for anyone who wants to check the working.
What do the Electric Field Converter fields mean?
The Electric Field Converter uses 3 inputs. Rather than an empty form you get a filled one, useful when you only want to test a single change.
| Field | What to enter | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Value | required | 1 |
| From | choose from Volt per metre (V/m), Kilovolt per metre (kV/m), Volt per centimetre (V/cm), Kilovolt per centimetre (kV/cm) or Volt per inch (V/in) | Volt per metre (V/m) |
| To | choose from Volt per metre (V/m), Kilovolt per metre (kV/m), Volt per centimetre (V/cm), Kilovolt per centimetre (kV/cm) or Volt per inch (V/in) | Kilovolt per metre (kV/m) |
How does the Electric Field Converter work?
Both units are converted through electric field strength's base unit (V/m), so any of the 5 units in the dropdowns can be paired in either direction without loss of accuracy.
Every factor here is the defined one, not a textbook approximation. That matters more than it sounds: rounding a factor early is the usual reason two converters disagree in the fourth decimal place.
Worked example
These are the values the Electric Field Converter loads by default, and the result it produces from them. The defaults produce the result shown here; change any of them and the answer moves.
| Value | 1 |
|---|---|
| From | Volt per metre (V/m) |
| To | Kilovolt per metre (kV/m) |
| Result | 0.001 kV/m |
|---|---|
| How it was calculated | 1 V/m = 0.001 kV/m, so 1 × 0.001 = 0.001 kV/m |
| Reverse conversion | 1000 V/m (if you meant 1 kV/m) |
Electric field strength
Electric field strength is measured in volts per metre (V/m) in SI units, describing how quickly electrical potential changes with distance, and, as with several other electrical units, it’s sometimes quoted per centimetre or per inch instead, depending on the engineering tradition involved.
Worth knowing
- Dry air breaks down and allows a spark to jump through it at a field strength of roughly 3 million volts per metre (about 30 kV per centimetre): the physical basis behind static shocks, lightning, and spark-gap devices.
- Electric field strength is distinct from voltage itself: a given voltage produces a stronger field across a shorter distance and a weaker field across a longer one, which is why field strength (not raw voltage) determines things like insulation breakdown risk.
- Some US engineering contexts specify field strength per inch rather than per metre or centimetre, requiring a combined length-and-voltage conversion rather than a simple multiplication by a round factor.
Definitions: BIPM SI Brochure · NIST reference on units
How to use it
- Set Value.
- Pick a value for From: the options are Volt per metre (V/m), Kilovolt per metre (kV/m), Volt per centimetre (V/cm), Kilovolt per centimetre (kV/cm) or Volt per inch (V/in).
- Pick a value for To: the options are Volt per metre (V/m), Kilovolt per metre (kV/m), Volt per centimetre (V/cm), Kilovolt per centimetre (kV/cm) or Volt per inch (V/in).
- Because there is no round trip to a server, updating on every keystroke costs nothing.
- Check Result, How it was calculated and Reverse conversion on the right.
- If you need a record, Copy Link saves the inputs and Print produces a clean page.
What this tool does not do
- Conversion factors use SI definitions; some industries use their own rounded factors.
- Repeated conversions compound rounding, so convert once from the original value where possible.
- It will not warn you that a different tool would suit your question better.
- The tool trusts your numbers completely, so a mis-keyed digit propagates straight through.
Frequently asked questions
Just Value, From and To. A starting value is in place for each, so nothing is mandatory before you see a result.
With the values loaded when the page opens, result comes out as 0.001 kV/m. Edit any input and that figure moves with it.
It is not stored or transmitted. The calculation happens locally and leaves no trace with us.
No cost and no account. Use it as often as you like.
There is no estimation step. The result is computed, not inferred.