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Voltage Unit Converter

Convert voltage between microvolts, millivolts, volts, kilovolts, and megavolts.

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Formula

1 V = 10³ mV = 10⁶ μV

How It Works

Voltage (electric potential difference) is measured in volts (V), the SI unit named after Alessandro Volta. Electronics spans a wide voltage range: microvolts (μV) for sensor signals and noise measurements, millivolts (mV) for thermocouple and bridge outputs, volts for logic and power supplies, and kilovolts (kV) for high-voltage applications such as CRT displays, power transmission, and ESD testing.

Worked Example

A thermocouple produces 5 mV at 100°C: 5 mV = 5000 μV = 0.005 V = 0.000005 kV. A 230 V mains supply: 230 V = 230,000 mV = 230,000,000 μV = 0.23 kV = 0.00023 MV.

Practical Tips

  • ✓Signal conditioning amplifiers are typically used to boost mV-range sensor signals to the 0–5 V or 0–3.3 V range expected by ADCs.
  • ✓When measuring μV-level signals, shield cables, use differential measurement, and avoid ground loops to prevent interference from corrupting readings.
  • ✓Logic voltage levels: 5 V (TTL/CMOS classic), 3.3 V (modern CMOS), 1.8 V and 1.2 V (low-power/mobile). Level shifters are required when interfacing between voltage domains.

Common Mistakes

  • ✗Confusing mV (millivolt, 10⁻³ V) with μV (microvolt, 10⁻⁶ V) — 1 mV = 1000 μV.
  • ✗Not accounting for voltage drop across cables and connectors in high-current systems; at 10 A, even 10 mΩ of resistance creates a 100 mV drop.
  • ✗Misreading oscilloscope vertical scale — mixing up mV/div and V/div settings leads to errors in amplitude measurement.

Frequently Asked Questions

Thermal (Johnson) noise in a 50 Ω resistor at room temperature over a 1 MHz bandwidth is about 0.9 μV RMS. Precision amplifiers can resolve signals in the nV range with care.
Use the mV range when measuring small signals like thermocouple outputs (mV), battery state of charge differences, or small voltage drops across components. Switch to V range for standard supply and signal measurements.
For a sinusoidal signal, peak voltage = RMS × √2 ≈ RMS × 1.414. Mains voltage of 230 V RMS has a peak of about 325 V. Multimeters display RMS by default for AC measurements.
Electrostatic discharge can produce voltages of 1–15 kV (human body model) or higher (machine model). These high voltages, even with very low energy, can punch through thin gate oxides in CMOS circuits.

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