Convert Kilovolts to Megavolts
Kilovolt (kV) to Megavolt (MV) electric potential conversion — enter any value below to get an instant result, or use the table for common values.
Results from this calculator are estimates provided for general informational purposes only, based on formulas, rates, and standards commonly accepted as of 2026. Figures may differ slightly from other calculators or professional sources due to rounding methods, differing assumptions, or regional regulations, and rules may change over time. Always consult a qualified professional — such as a financial advisor, healthcare provider, or other relevant specialist — before making decisions based on these results.
Result
1 kV = 0.001 MV
1 Kilovolt = 0.001 Megavolts
1 Megavolt = 1000 Kilovolts
1 kV in every supported unit
Conversion chart: Kilovolt to Megavolts
Conversion table
| Kilovolt (kV) | Megavolt (MV) |
|---|---|
| 0.01 kV | 1E-05 MV |
| 0.1 kV | 0.0001 MV |
| 1 kV | 0.001 MV |
| 2 kV | 0.002 MV |
| 3 kV | 0.003 MV |
| 5 kV | 0.005 MV |
| 10 kV | 0.01 MV |
| 20 kV | 0.02 MV |
| 50 kV | 0.05 MV |
| 100 kV | 0.1 MV |
| 1000 kV | 1 MV |
Kilovolt (kV)
Definition: The SI multiple equal to 1,000 volts, used whenever a plain volt figure would be inconveniently large to read or compare.
History: Formed by combining the SI "kilo-" prefix with the volt as power transmission and high-voltage engineering routinely reached into the thousands of volts, a scale the base unit alone described awkwardly.
Current use: The standard unit for electrical power transmission line voltages, substation equipment ratings, ignition-coil and spark-plug voltages in engines, and X-ray tube accelerating voltages.
Megavolt (MV)
Definition: The SI multiple equal to one million volts, reserved for the small number of contexts where even the kilovolt is too small a unit to conveniently describe the potential involved.
History: Adopted as high-voltage physics and engineering pushed into ever more extreme regimes — particle accelerator terminal voltages, industrial high-voltage test equipment, and estimates of the potential difference in a lightning strike all reach into the millions of volts.
Current use: Used to describe Van de Graaff generator terminal voltages, high-voltage test-laboratory equipment ratings, and rough estimates of the potential difference between a thundercloud and the ground during a lightning strike.
Supported Units
| Unit | Symbol | In Volt |
|---|---|---|
| Volt | V | 1 V |
| Kilovolt | kV | 1000 V |
| Millivolt | mV | 0.001 V |
| Microvolt | µV | 1E-06 V |
| Megavolt | MV | 1000000 V |
| Watt/Ampere | W/A | 1 V |
| Abvolt | abV | 1E-08 V |
| EMU of Electric Potential | EMU | 1E-08 V |
| Statvolt | stV | 299.7925 V |
| ESU of Electric Potential | ESU | 299.7925 V |
About These Parameters
- Value
- The electric potential (voltage) value you want to convert, expressed in the "From" unit. Accepts decimals, and can represent anything from a microvolt-scale sensor signal to a megavolt-scale high-voltage test figure.
- From Unit
- The unit your input value is currently measured in — a modern spec sheet's volt, kilovolt, or millivolt rating, or a historical figure quoted in abvolts, statvolts, or another CGS-Gaussian electric potential unit.
- To Unit
- The unit you want the result converted into. Use the swap button to flip From and To instantly, which is handy when translating an older CGS-based figure into the modern SI volt or vice versa.
How Electric Potential Conversion Works
The Formula
Every unit here is defined by a fixed multiplier relative to the volt. To convert a value from one unit to another:
result = value × (factor of "From" unit ÷ factor of "To" unit)
For Kilovolt → Megavolt: multiply by 0.001. For example, 1 kV × 0.001 = 0.001 MV.
From CGS to SI
Before the SI system unified electrical measurement, 19th-century physicists worked with two parallel centimeter-gram-second (CGS) unit families: the electromagnetic system (CGS-EMU), whose potential unit was the abvolt (also called "EMU of electric potential"), and the electrostatic system (CGS-ESU), whose potential unit was the statvolt (also called "ESU of electric potential"). The two families differ enormously in scale — one abvolt equals a hundred-millionth of a volt, while one statvolt equals roughly 299.79 volts — because they were built from Coulomb's law and the electromagnetic force law using different fundamental scaling assumptions, with the ratio between the two systems tracing back to the speed of light. The modern volt, formally adopted in 1881 and later folded into the coherent SI, replaced both CGS conventions with a single reproducible standard.
Why Watt/Ampere Equals a Volt
Electric power equals voltage times current (P = VI), so rearranging that relationship gives voltage as power divided by current — one watt of power per ampere of current is therefore dimensionally and numerically identical to one volt. This isn't a separate physical unit being converted into the volt; it's the same quantity written in its underlying SI derived-unit form, which is why the conversion factor between watt/ampere and volt is exactly 1. The same logic explains why abvolt and "EMU of electric potential" are exact synonyms, and why statvolt and "ESU of electric potential" are exact synonyms — each pair is one physical quantity carrying two historical names from the same 19th-century CGS labeling convention.
Example
An electric potential of 1 kV equals 0.001 MV. For scale, a AA battery supplies about 1.5 volts, a US household wall outlet delivers around 120 volts, and a long-distance power transmission line can carry several hundred kilovolts between substations.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many Megavolts are in 1 Kilovolt?
1 Kilovolt (kV) equals exactly 0.001 Megavolts (MV).
What is the difference between volt and millivolt?
A millivolt is one-thousandth of a volt (1 mV = 0.001 V). The volt is the everyday unit for batteries and mains power, while the millivolt is the practical unit for the much smaller potentials typical of sensors, thermocouples, and biosignal readings like ECG traces.
Are abvolt and EMU of electric potential really the same unit?
Yes — both names refer to the identical CGS-electromagnetic potential unit, equal to exactly one hundred-millionth of a volt. They arose from different naming conventions used in 19th- and early 20th-century physics literature rather than representing physically distinct quantities.
Why is a statvolt so much larger than a volt?
The statvolt comes from the CGS electrostatic unit system, built directly from Coulomb's law without the SI's scaling conventions. The roughly 300x size gap between it and the volt traces back to the speed of light, which relates the electrostatic and electromagnetic CGS unit families to each other.
Is watt/ampere really the same as a volt?
Yes — since power equals voltage times current (P = VI), one watt per ampere is exactly equal to one volt by definition, not by measurement. It's the same physical quantity written using power and current as its building blocks instead of the volt's own name.