Voltage Drop Calculator – DC, AC, AWG & mm² Explained
This Voltage Drop Calculator estimates how much voltage is lost along a cable run based on circuit type, cable length, conductor material, and wire size. It reports the voltage drop in volts, the percentage dropative to the supply, and the approximate load voltage.
DC And Single-Phase Circuits
For DC and single-phase circuits, the calculator treats the circuit as a two-conductor loop (outgoing and return). The total resistance is based on conductor resistivity, length, and cross-sectional area, and the voltage drop is approximated using ΔV = I × R.
Three-Phase Circuits
For three-phase systems, the line-to-line voltage drop is approximated with a resistive model using ΔV ≈ √3 × I × R × L, where R is the resistance per meter and L is the length of the cable run. This gives a practical estimate for many balanced three-phase loads.
AWG, mm² Modes And Cable Sizing
The AWG mode converts American Wire Gauge sizes to an equivalent area in mm² and computes voltage drop from that. The mm² mode works directly with metric cable sizes. The cable sizing helpererses the calculation to estimate the minimum cross-sectional area that keeps the voltage drop below the allowed percentage for the specified load.