Science & Engineering

Watts to Amps Converter (DC & AC)

Converts watts to amps for DC, single-phase AC, and three-phase AC circuits. It factors in power factor for AC and suggests a breaker size for the resulting current.

How to use
  1. Pick DC, single-phase, or three-phase.
  2. Enter the power in watts and the voltage.
  3. Add the power factor for AC circuits.
For study and estimation. Verify against authoritative data before relying on a result.
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Worked examples

WattsVoltsTypeAmps
1200120DC10.0
1500120AC 1-phase (PF 1.0)12.5
5000240AC 1-phase (PF 0.9)23.1

Common questions

How do I convert watts to amps?

Divide watts by volts for DC. For AC, also divide by the power factor, and for three-phase include a factor of the square root of 3.

What is power factor and why does it matter?

Power factor is the ratio of real to apparent power on an AC circuit. A lower factor means more current is needed for the same watts.

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