Electrical Load Converter

About the Electrical Load Converter

Converts between watts, amps (at a given voltage) and motor horsepower, handy for sizing circuits and equipment.

How to use this calculator

1. Choose the unit you know, such as watts, amps, volts, or horsepower.
2. Enter the known value and, when needed, the missing electrical value the calculator asks for.
3. Select the unit you want to convert to.
4. Read the converted result and compare it with your device or circuit requirements.

The formula explained

This calculator converts between power and electrical quantities using the relationships between power, current, and voltage. For example, power in watts can be found from \(P = V \\times I\), and horsepower can be converted to watts using \(1\\,\\text{hp} = 746\\,\\text{W}\).

• P = power, measured in watts or horsepower
• V = voltage, measured in volts
• I = current, measured in amps
• hp = horsepower

Step by step method

1. Start with the quantity you know, such as \(P\), \(V\), or \(I\).
2. Use the matching relationship, such as \(P = V \\times I\), to rearrange for the unknown value.
3. If needed, convert horsepower and watts using \(1\\,\\text{hp} = 746\\,\\text{W}\).

Worked example

Problem. A motor uses \(1.5\\,\\text{hp}\). How many watts is that?

1. Use the conversion \(1\\,\\text{hp} = 746\\,\\text{W}\).
2. Multiply \(1.5 \\times 746 = 1119\).
3. The motor power is \(1119\\,\\text{W}\).

Tips and common mistakes

• Make sure you are converting the right quantity, because watts, amps, volts, and horsepower are not the same thing.
• When using \(P = V \\times I\), check that voltage is in volts and current is in amps before calculating.

Frequently asked questions