Wire Gauge Converter
Value:
Popular Wire Gauge Converters:
What is a Wire Gauge Converter?
A wire gauge converter is a tool that converts between wire diameter and area units such as millimeters, inches, mils, circular mils, and square millimeters. It is essential for electrical engineering, wiring installations, and selecting the correct wire size for current-carrying capacity.
How to Convert Wire Gauge Units
Select the wire measurement unit you want to convert from and the target unit using the dropdown menus. Enter your value in the input field and the converter instantly calculates the equivalent measurement. Use this for converting between metric and imperial wire sizes.
Wire Gauge Conversion Formulas
History of Wire Gauge Measurement
The American Wire Gauge (AWG) system was established in 1857 based on a geometric progression of wire diameters. Each gauge number represents a specific diameter, with smaller numbers indicating larger wires. The metric system uses millimeters for diameter and mm² for cross-sectional area.
About This Wire Gauge Converter
This wire gauge converter supports 9 units including millimeter, inch, mil (thou), micrometer, centimeter, meter, square millimeter, circular mil, and square inch. It handles both diameter and cross-sectional area measurements for wire sizing.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I convert mm to inches for wire?
Divide the millimeter value by 25.4 to get inches. For example, 2.5 mm ÷ 25.4 = 0.0984 inches.
What is a mil in wire measurement?
A mil (also called thou) is one-thousandth of an inch (0.001 inch = 0.0254 mm). It is commonly used in the US for specifying wire diameter and insulation thickness.
What is a circular mil?
A circular mil is the area of a circle with a diameter of one mil (0.001 inch). It equals approximately 0.000507 mm². It is used in the US for specifying wire cross-sectional area, especially for large conductors.
How do I convert AWG to mm?
AWG uses a formula: diameter (mm) = 0.127 × 92^((36-AWG)/39). Common values: AWG 10 = 2.588 mm, AWG 14 = 1.628 mm, AWG 18 = 1.024 mm.
What wire size do I need?
Wire size depends on current capacity needed. For example, 14 AWG (1.63 mm) handles 15 amps, 12 AWG (2.05 mm) handles 20 amps, and 10 AWG (2.59 mm) handles 30 amps in residential wiring.
Metric Conversion Factor Tables for Wire Gauge Converter
| Units to convert | Multiply By The Number | Convert as Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Millimeter (mm) | 0.0393701 | Inch (in) |
| Inch (in) | 25.4 | Millimeter (mm) |
| Millimeter (mm) | 39.3701 | Mil (thou) |
| Mil (thou) | 0.0254 | Millimeter (mm) |
| Inch (in) | 1000 | Mil (thou) |
| Millimeter (mm) | 1000 | Micrometer (µm) |
Wire Gaugeconverters & it's abbreviations
| Unit | Abbreviation | Unit | Abbreviation | Unit | Abbreviation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| millimeter | mm | inch | in | mil | mil, thou |
| micrometer | µm | centimeter | cm | circular mil | cmil |
| square millimeter | mm² | square inch | in² |
Complete list of Wire Gauge conversion units and its conversion.
- 1 millimeter = 0.0393701 inch
mm to inches → - 1 inch = 25.4 millimeter
inches to mm → - 1 millimeter = 39.3701 mil
mm to mil →
- 1 mil = 0.0254 millimeter
mil to mm → - 1 inch = 1000 mil
inches to mil → - 1 millimeter = 1000 micrometer
mm to micrometer →