Watts To Amps Converter (With 120V Examples)

Example: An air conditioner is powered by 800 Watts. How many Amps is that? It’s 5 Amps.

To convert electrical power to electrical current (Watts to Amps), we need to use the electrical power equation:

P = I*V

where:

• P is electrical power, measured in Watts (W)
• I is electrical current or amperage, measured in Amps (A).
• V is electrical potential or voltage, measured in Volts (V). The standard voltage for the majority of electrical devices is 110-120V and upgraded voltage powerful electric devices use is 220V.

Using this equation, we can convert watts directly to amps, if we know the voltage. 

Watts To Amps Calculator (W to A)

Here you can easily convert watts to amps using this calculator:

In order to demonstrate how watts can be converted to amps, we solved a few examples for how many amps is 500 watts, 1000 watts, and 3000 watts. In the end, you will also find a watts-to-amps table at 120V electric potential

Example 1: How Many Amps Is 500 Watts?

Let’s say we have a 500W air conditioner plug into 120 V voltage.

Here is how we can calculate how many amps is 500W:

I = P/V

If we input the P = 500 Watts and V = 120 Volts, we get:

I = 500 Watts/120 Volt = 4.17 Amps

In short, 500 Watts equals 4.17 Amps.

Example 2: How Many Amps Is 1000 Watts?

If we repeat the exercise and ask ourselves how many Amps equals 1000 Watts we get:

I = 1000 Watts/120 Volt = 8.33 Amps

We see that a 1000 W device draws twice as many Amps as 500 W device.

Example 3: 3000 Watts Equals How Many Amps?

3000 Watt devices can be plugin in 120V or into 220V. In cases with higher wattage, it’s not unusual to use a higher 220 voltage. This is designed to reduce the amperage.

For example, 3000 Watt equals to:

• 25 Amps, if you use 120 V.
• 13.64 Amps, if you use 220 V.

For 25 Amps, for example, you would already need an amp breaker. But if you plug such a device into 220 V, the current that is generated is only 13.64 Amps (there is no need for amp breakers).

Watts To Amps Table (At 120V)

If you have a specific question about how to convert Watts to Amps, you can use the comment section below and we’ll try to help you out.