Motors, Lighting & Conversions

The conversions that sit under every other calculation

Motors, lighting and unit conversions are the connective tissue of electrical work — the small calculations you reach for constantly while sizing something larger. The Power Converter (W/A/V/kVA) calculator moves between watts, amps, volts and kVA for DC, single-phase and three-phase systems, so you can turn a nameplate figure into the quantity a wire or breaker calculation actually needs. The Motor FLA / HP / kW calculator estimates a motor's full-load amps from its horsepower or kilowatts, voltage, efficiency and power factor, which is the starting point for sizing its conductors and overload protection.

Three-phase power introduces the √3 (about 1.732) factor that trips people up; the 3-Phase Power calculator handles it so line and phase quantities line up correctly. And because resistance is what drives both voltage drop and heating, the Wire Resistance calculator returns a conductor's resistance from its metal, gauge and length using the same resistivity constants — the copper and aluminum K factors — that the Voltage Drop calculator relies on.

These converters are deterministic: the same inputs always give the same answer, because they are built on physics and standard constants rather than on any changing price or feed. They are estimates for planning and education — always confirm motor nameplate data and final protection sizing against the equipment listing, the NEC and a licensed electrician.