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Electric Field Strength Converter

Science

Convert electric field strength between volts per metre, kilovolts per metre, volts per centimetre, and volts per millimetre instantly and free.

Reviewed by the thecalcu.com team · Last updated July 29, 2026

From
To
All conversionsfor 1 Kilovolts per Metre (kV/m)
Megavolts per Metre (MV/m)0.001
Kilovolts per Metre (kV/m)1
Volts per Metre (V/m)1000
Volts per Centimetre (V/cm)10
Volts per Millimetre (V/mm)1
Kilovolts per Centimetre (kV/cm)0.01

What is a Electric Field Strength?

The Electric Field Strength Converter converts electric field strength between volts per metre (SI), megavolts and kilovolts per metre, and the finer-scale volts and kilovolts per centimetre and millimetre. Electric field strength measures the force per unit charge at a point in space, a fundamental quantity in capacitor design, high-voltage engineering, and dielectric material specifications.

Enter a value in any supported unit and the converter calculates the equivalent instantly. For the related voltage quantity, see the Electric Potential Converter.

Why Use an Electric Field Strength Converter?

Dielectric strength specifications and high-voltage engineering references report electric field strength across a huge range of length scales, kV/m for power line field strength, but kV/mm or even MV/m for the much smaller gaps in capacitors and insulation materials. Comparing a material's breakdown strength against a design's actual field strength requires accurate conversion between these scales.

Who Should Use This Converter?

  • High-voltage and power transmission engineers working with electric field strength specifications and safety guidelines.
  • Capacitor and insulation material engineers comparing dielectric strength ratings against design field strength requirements.
  • Electrical engineering students converting electric field strength values for electromagnetism coursework.
  • Electronics designers ensuring component spacing meets dielectric strength requirements for a given operating voltage.

What Insights Does the Electric Field Strength Converter Give You?

The main output is the converted value in your chosen target unit, calculated precisely from the fixed multiplier relationship between units. Because electric field strength spans a wide practical range, from kV/m near power lines to MV/m within small capacitor gaps, the converter helps confirm you're comparing values at a consistent, meaningful scale.

How to use this Electric Field Strength calculator

  1. Choose your starting unit from the source dropdown, for example, "Kilovolts per Metre (kV/m)".
  2. Enter the numeric value you want to convert in the input field.
  3. Choose your target unit from the destination dropdown, for example, "Volts per Metre (V/m)".
  4. Read the converted result, which updates instantly as you type or change units.
  5. Use the swap (⇅) button if you need to reverse the conversion direction.
  6. Use the copy button to grab the result for a high-voltage design or dielectric strength comparison.
Show formula & methodology ↓Show less ↑

Formula & Methodology

The converter's base unit is volts per metre (V/m). Every supported unit has a fixed multiplier:

- 1 megavolt per metre (MV/m) = 1,000,000 V/m
- 1 kilovolt per metre (kV/m) = 1,000 V/m
- 1 volt per centimetre (V/cm) = 100 V/m
- 1 volt per millimetre (V/mm) = 1,000 V/m
- 1 kilovolt per centimetre (kV/cm) = 100,000 V/m

Any conversion follows:

Result = Input × (toBase of source unit ÷ toBase of target unit)

Worked example, converting air's dielectric breakdown strength of 3 MV/m to kV/cm:

Result = 3,000,000 × (1 ÷ 100,000) = 30 kV/cm

This matches the commonly cited approximate breakdown field strength for air under standard atmospheric conditions.

Related Tools

You may also find these useful: Electric Current Converter, Capacitance Converter.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is electric field strength?
Electric field strength (also called electric field intensity) measures the force per unit charge at a point in space, expressed in volts per metre, it describes how strong the electric field is at a given location, whether from a charged object, a capacitor, or a high-voltage power line.
How do I convert kV/m to V/m?
Multiply the kV/m value by 1,000, since one kilovolt equals 1,000 volts. Enter your value with 'Kilovolts per Metre (kV/m)' as the source and 'Volts per Metre (V/m)' as the target to apply this automatically.
How does electric field strength relate to voltage and distance?
For a uniform electric field (like between parallel capacitor plates), electric field strength equals the voltage divided by the distance between the two points (E = V/d), so a higher voltage or a smaller gap both increase the field strength. See the [Electric Potential Converter](/electric-potential-converter/) for the voltage side of this relationship.
What is dielectric strength, and how does it relate to electric field strength?
Dielectric strength is the maximum electric field strength a material can withstand before it breaks down and starts conducting electricity (electrical breakdown), measured in the same V/m or kV/mm units as electric field strength, dielectric strength defines insulation material limits for capacitors, cables, and high-voltage equipment.
What is a typical electric field strength value near a high-voltage power line?
Electric field strength near high-voltage transmission lines is typically regulated and kept well within safety guidelines, often in the range of a few kV/m near the ground beneath transmission lines, far below levels considered hazardous based on established exposure standards.
How is electric field strength related to capacitor design?
Capacitor design requires keeping the electric field strength between plates below the dielectric material's breakdown strength, which directly limits how much voltage a capacitor of a given plate separation and dielectric material can safely handle.
Why does air have a limited dielectric strength?
Air begins to ionise and become conductive (leading to arcing or breakdown) at electric field strengths of roughly 3 MV/m under standard atmospheric conditions, which is why high-voltage equipment requires adequate spacing or better insulating materials to prevent arcing.
How does electric field strength relate to electric flux density?
In a vacuum, electric field strength and electric flux density (also called electric displacement) are proportional through the permittivity of free space, though electric flux density accounts for the effects of a surrounding dielectric material in more complex scenarios.
What safety standards exist for electric field strength exposure?
Various national and international bodies publish exposure guidelines for electric field strength near power infrastructure, typically expressed in kV/m, to limit human exposure to levels considered safe based on scientific research, always consult the relevant regulatory guidance for a specific jurisdiction and application.
How do I convert electric field strength between metric length scales?
Use the appropriate source and target units from V/m, V/cm, V/mm, kV/m, or kV/cm, the converter handles all these scale combinations directly, useful when comparing dielectric strength specifications given in different length-scale conventions.
Also known as
electric field strength converterv/m to kv/m converterelectric field intensity converterdielectric strength converterkv/cm to v/m converter