Electric Field Strength Converter

Convert between volt/meter, kilovolt/meter, newton/coulomb, and other electric field strength units with scientific precision.

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Electric Field Strength Units Explained

Volt/meter (V/m)

The SI unit of electric field strength, representing the force per unit charge. Equivalent to newton/coulomb. 1 V/m = 1 N/C.

Common uses: Power line fields, capacitor analysis, electromagnetic shielding, atmospheric electricity.

Kilovolt/meter (kV/m)

SI unit for high electric fields. 1 kV/m = 1000 V/m. Standard for high-voltage applications.

Common uses: High-voltage transmission, dielectric breakdown testing, plasma physics.

Kilovolt/centimeter (kV/cm)

SI unit for very high electric field densities. 1 kV/cm = 100,000 V/m.

Common uses: Insulation breakdown testing, high-field physics, plasma acceleration.

Volt/centimeter (V/cm)

CGS-derived unit. 1 V/cm = 100 V/m. Used in laboratory settings and materials science.

Common uses: Material property testing, electrophoresis, gel electrophoresis protocols.

Millivolt/meter (mV/m)

Used for very weak fields. 1 mV/m = 0.001 V/m.

Common uses: Environmental electromagnetic field measurements, biological effects studies.

Volt/inch (V/in)

Imperial unit commonly used in North America. 1 V/in ≈ 39,370 V/m.

Common uses: Electronics manufacturing, equipment specifications, US industrial standards.

Volt/mil (V/mil)

Precise imperial unit for thin films and layers. 1 V/mil ≈ 39.37 V/m.

Application: PCB insulation requirements, thin-film device design, coating specifications.

Statvolt/centimeter (stV/cm)

CGS electrostatic unit. Part of the esu (electrostatic unit) system.

Note: 1 V/m ≈ 3.336 × 10⁻⁵ stV/cm. Rarely used in modern applications.

Newton/coulomb (N/C)

Alternative SI unit expressing electric field as force per charge. 1 N/C = 1 V/m.

Common uses: Physics education, force calculations, particle acceleration.

Electric Field Strength Context

  • Earth's atmospheric field: ~100 V/m under normal conditions
  • Power line field (765 kV): ~5-10 kV/m at ground level
  • Air breakdown field: ~3 MV/m (3000 kV/m) - causes lightning
  • Dielectric breakdown: Varies by material, typically 1-100 MV/m
  • Inside capacitor: Can range from 10 kV/m to MV/m depending on gap
  • Microwave oven field: ~10-100 kV/m during operation
  • Biological exposure limit (ICNIRP): 0.61 V/m (power frequency)