- Use the formula: Amps (A) = Watts (W) / Volts (V)
- Make sure you have the values for Watts and Volts. The volts are usually the voltage of the power source you are using. Some common voltages:
- Household outlets in the USA: 120V
- European household outlets: 230V
- Car battery: 12V
- Plug the values into the formula and calculate:
For example: If your device uses 60 Watts and is plugged into a 120V outlet, then:
Amps = Watts / Volts Amps = 60W / 120V Amps = 0.5 Amps
So if the device uses 60 Watts from a 120 volt power source, the current or amperage needed is 0.5 Amps.
To summarize, divide the Watts by the source voltage in volts to get the amperage or amps required. This works for any electrical device you need to find the amps used.
Watts To Amps Calculator
This calculator allows you to convert power in watts (W) to current in amps (A), for different system voltages.
The formula relating watts, amps and volts is:
Amps (A) = Watts (W) / Volts (V)
Below are examples calculating amperage for different wattages at common voltage levels.
How Many Amps is 250 Watts
| Voltage | Amps Calculation | Amps |
|---|---|---|
| 12V | Amps = 250W / 12V | 21 |
| 24V | Amps = 250W / 24V | 10.42 |
| 120V | Amps = 250W / 120V | 2.1 |
| 220V | Amps = 250W / 220V | 1.14 |
How Many Amps is 500 Watts?
| Voltage | Amps Calculation | Amps |
|---|---|---|
| 12V | Amps = 500W / 12V | 41.7 |
| 24V | Amps = 500W / 24V | 20.8 |
| 120V | Amps = 500W / 120V | 4.2 |
| 220V | Amps = 500W / 220V | 2.3 |
How Many Amps is 1000 Watts?
Repeating the same calculations, 1000 watts equals:
| Voltage | Amps Calculation | Amps |
|---|---|---|
| 12V | Amps = 1000W / 12V | 83.3 |
| 24V | Amps = 1000W / 24V | 41.7 |
| 120V | Amps = 1000W / 120V | 8.3 |
| 220V | Amps = 1000W / 220V | 4.5 |
And so on for other voltages.
1,400 Watts is How Many Amps
| Voltage | Amps Calculation | Amps |
|---|---|---|
| 12V | Amps = 1,400W / 12V | 117 |
| 24V | Amps = 1,400W / 24V | 58.33 |
| 120V | Amps = 1,400W / 120V | 12 |
| 220V | Amps = 1,400W / 220V | 6.36 |
3000 Watts Equals How Many Amps?
| Voltage | Amps Calculation | Amps |
|---|---|---|
| 12V | Amps = 3000W / 12V | 250 |
| 24V | Amps = 3000W / 24V | 125 |
| 120V | Amps = 3000W / 120V | 25 |
| 220V | Amps = 3000W / 220V | 13.6 |
How Many Amps is 8,000 Watts
| Voltage | Amps Calculation | Amps |
|---|---|---|
| 12V | Amps = 8,000W / 12V | 667 |
| 24V | Amps = 8,000W / 24V | 333.3 |
| 120V | Amps = 8,000W / 120V | 67 |
| 220V | Amps = 8,000W / 220V | 36.4 |
How Many Amps is 10,000 Watts
| Voltage | Amps Calculation | Amps |
|---|---|---|
| 12V | Amps = 10,000W / 12V | 833 |
| 120V | Amps = 10,000W / 120V | 83 |
| 220V | Amps = 10,000W / 220V | 45.5 |
| 24V | Amps = 10,000W / 24V | 416.7 |
As shown in the examples above, the same wattage yields higher amperage at lower voltages, and lower amperage at higher voltages. You can use this calculator to convert any wattage to amps.
Watts To Amps At Different Voltages
Below are some common voltage systems and how to calculate the amps for different wattages.
Watts To Amps At 12V (For Batteries)
Amps = Watts / 12V
- 100 Watts = 8.3 Amps
- 500 Watts = 41.7 Amps
- 1000 Watts = 83.3 Amps
- 2000 Watts = 166.7 Amps
And so on.
Watts To Amps At 24V (For Batteries)
Amps = Watts / 24V
- 100 Watts = 4.2 Amps
- 500 Watts = 20.8 Amps
- 1000 Watts = 41.7 Amps
- 2000 Watts = 83.3 Amps
Watts To Amps At 120V (Standard Outlet)
Amps = Watts / 120V
- 100 Watts = 0.8 Amps
- 500 Watts = 4.2 Amps
- 1000 Watts = 8.3 Amps
- 1500 Watts = 12.5 Amps
Watts To Amps At 220V (220V Outlet)
Amps = Watts / 220V
- 100 Watts = 0.45 Amps
- 500 Watts = 2.3 Amps
- 1000 Watts = 4.5 Amps
- 2000 Watts = 9.1 Amps
Watts To Amps At 240V (240V Outlet)
Amps = Watts / 240V
- 100 Watts = 0.42 Amps
- 500 Watts = 2.1 Amps
- 1000 Watts = 4.2 Amps
- 2000 Watts = 8.3 Amps
And so on for any wattage at these common system voltages.
What are Amps, Volts and Watts?
Amps
Amps, or amperage, refers to electrical current flow. The current flow is the quantity of electrons moving through a circuit.
- Measures the current
- Unit of amps (A) or milliamps (mA)
- Higher amps means more current flow
Volts
Volts, or voltage, refers to the electric potential difference. It is like electrical “pressure” driving the current between two points in a circuit.
- Measures the electrical “pressure”
- Unit of volts (V)
- Higher volts enables more current to flow
Watts
Watts measure the total electricity or power consumption. It is the product of voltage and current.
- Measures the power
- Unit of watts (W) or kilowatts (kW)
- More watts means more total power consumption
AC and DC Power Systems
There are two common types of electrical power systems:
AC Power
- Alternating Current
- Voltage and current change direction periodically
- Used in power grids and wall outlets
DC Power
- Direct Current
- Voltage and current flow in one direction
- Used in batteries, solar panels, cars
So in summary:
- Amps (A) refers to current
- Volts (V) refers to voltage
- Watts (W) refers to power
And these parameters apply to both AC and DC electrical systems.
