Electric Field Strength Converter — Voltage per Length Converter
Convert electric field strength between different units including V/m, kV/m, mV/m, V/cm, N/C, and more. Essential for electrical engineering, high-voltage design, and electromagnetic compatibility analysis. Electric field strength represents the force per unit charge at a point in space. See also our Electric Resistivity Converter and Voltage Converter.
Value:
How to Convert Electric Field Strength
- Enter the electric field strength value in the input field above.
- Select the unit you are converting from in the "From" dropdown menu.
- Select the unit you want to convert to in the "To" dropdown menu.
- The result will automatically appear in the result field.
- Use the copy button to copy the result to your clipboard.
- Click any conversion in the list below to quickly select those units.
Electric Field Strength Formula
Electric Field Strength Definition:
E = F/q = V/d
Where:
E = Electric field strength (V/m or N/C)
F = Force on charge (N)
q = Test charge (C)
V = Voltage (V)
d = Distance (m)
Unit Conversion Formula:
E₂ = E₁ × (conversion_factor₁ / conversion_factor₂)
Common Units:
SI Unit: V/m (Volt per meter) = N/C (Newton per coulomb)
Submultiples: mV/m, μV/m
Multiples: kV/m, MV/m, V/cm, V/mm
CGS Unit: statV/cm ≈ 29,979.2458 V/m
Unit Relationships:
1 V/m = 0.001 kV/m = 10⁻⁶ MV/m
1 V/m = 0.01 V/cm = 0.001 V/mm
1 V/m = 1000 mV/m = 10⁶ μV/m
1 V/m = 1 N/C (equivalent units)
Coulomb's Law:
E = kq/r² = q/(4πε₀r²)
Where: k = 8.99×10⁹ N·m²/C²
Gauss's Law:
∮E⋅dA = Q_enclosed/ε₀Example Conversion
Problem: Convert 3 kV/m to V/cm and V/m.
Given: E = 3 kV/m
Solution:
• To V/m: 3 kV/m × 1000 V/kV = 3000 V/m
• To V/cm: 3000 V/m × (1 cm / 100) = 30 V/cm
Answer: 3 kV/m = 3000 V/m = 30 V/cm
Technical Details
Electric field strength (also called electric field intensity) represents the force experienced by a unit positive charge at a point in an electric field. It is a vector quantity measured in volts per meter (V/m) or equivalently newtons per coulomb (N/C). The electric field is fundamental to understanding electrostatics, circuit design, electromagnetic wave propagation, and high-voltage engineering.
In practical applications, electric field strength ranges from microvolts per meter (radio wave reception) to megavolts per meter (dielectric breakdown). The breakdown strength of air is approximately 3 MV/m (30 kV/cm), which determines the maximum voltage that can be sustained without sparking. High-voltage equipment design requires careful field analysis to prevent corona discharge and insulation failure.
Electric Field Strength Reference Table
| Application | Typical Range | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Atmospheric fair weather | 100-150 V/m | Natural electric field at Earth surface |
| Radio wave reception | 1 μV/m to 1 mV/m | Broadcast signal field strengths |
| Power line vicinity | 1-10 kV/m | Near high-voltage transmission lines |
| Capacitor dielectrics | 1-100 kV/m | Between capacitor plates |
| Air breakdown (sparking) | ~3 MV/m | Dielectric strength of air at STP |
| Lightning channels | 10-100 MV/m | During electrical discharge |
| Semiconductor junctions | 10⁵-10⁷ V/m | PN junction depletion regions |
| Particle accelerators | 10-100 MV/m | RF cavity accelerating fields |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is electric field strength?
Electric field strength is the force per unit charge at a point in an electric field. It is measured in volts per meter (V/m) or newtons per coulomb (N/C), which are equivalent units. It describes how strongly a charged particle would be pushed or pulled at that location.
What is the difference between V/m and N/C?
V/m and N/C are exactly the same unit expressed differently. V/m comes from the voltage-distance relationship (E = V/d), while N/C comes from the force-charge relationship (E = F/q). Both equal 1 kg·m/(A·s³) in base SI units.
What is the dielectric breakdown strength of air?
The dielectric breakdown strength of air at standard temperature and pressure is approximately 3 MV/m (30 kV/cm or 3000 V/mm). Above this field strength, air ionizes and becomes conductive, causing sparking or corona discharge.
How is electric field strength measured?
Electric field strength is measured using field mills (for DC/low-frequency fields), dipole antennas (for RF fields), or electro-optic sensors (for high-frequency fields). Calibrated probes can measure fields from μV/m to MV/m depending on the application.
Why is electric field strength important in EMC?
In electromagnetic compatibility (EMC), electric field strength measurements determine whether electronic devices emit excessive radiation or can withstand external fields without malfunction. Standards like CISPR and FCC specify maximum field strength limits in V/m or dBμV/m.
Objective of Measurement:
Measurement is the most important aspect of our life. We use measurement in science, engineering, business trading, personal life, education, and more other fields. As technology is growing day by day so we need a highly accurate and easy convenient global measuring system in each and every field. It is essential to use standard measurement in every field that everyone to be sure that they not get cheated.
History of Measurement:
In history for measurement people used the human body as a tool. For measuring length used forearm, hand, foot & finger as a unit. The foot, finger is a subdivided shorter unit of a length. This type of measurement is not accurate cause different in size of the arm & finger for different people & some of the countries still using it. In history, there were lots of measuring systems developed but mostly used imperial, the metric system of measurement. We use these systems for measure distances, volume, weight, speed, area etc. Due to this a major problem everyone is facing while doing trading between the countries. A huge improvement in civilization, It necessary to improve measuring standards. Nowadays International Standard (SI) units are used as a global measurement system.
Electric Field Strength Conversion - Unit Converter:
Our electric field strength conversion converter convert volt/meter [V/m], kilovolt/meter [kV/m], millivolt/meter [mV/m], microvolt/meter [μV/m], volt/centimeter [V/cm], volt/millimeter [V/mm], volt/micrometer [V/μm], megavolt/meter [MV/m], volt/inch [V/in], volt/foot [V/ft], newton/coulomb [N/C], statvolt/centimeter [statV/cm] vice versa with metric conversion.
Electric field strength conversions & its abbreviations
| Unit | Abbreviation | Unit | Abbreviation |
|---|---|---|---|
| volt/meter | V/m | kilovolt/meter | kV/m |
| millivolt/meter | mV/m | microvolt/meter | μV/m |
| volt/centimeter | V/cm | volt/millimeter | V/mm |
| volt/micrometer | V/μm | megavolt/meter | MV/m |
| volt/inch | V/in | volt/foot | V/ft |
| newton/coulomb | N/C | statvolt/centimeter | statV/cm |
Complete list of Electric field strength conversion units and its conversion.
1 volt/meter [V/m] = 0.001 kilovolt/meter [kV/m]
1 kilovolt/meter [kV/m] = 1000 volt/meter [V/m]
1 volt/meter [V/m] = 0.01 volt/centimeter [V/cm]
1 volt/centimeter [V/cm] = 100 volt/meter [V/m]
1 volt/meter [V/m] = 1000 millivolt/meter [mV/m]
1 millivolt/meter [mV/m] = 0.001 volt/meter [V/m]
1 volt/meter [V/m] = 1 newton/coulomb [N/C]
1 volt/meter [V/m] = 0.001 volt/millimeter [V/mm]
1 volt/millimeter [V/mm] = 1000 volt/meter [V/m]
1 megavolt/meter [MV/m] = 1000000 volt/meter [V/m]