Order of magnitude (electrical voltage)

This is a compilation of electrical voltages of various orders of magnitude for comparison purposes. The information is often to be understood as “typical values”; the converted values are rounded.

Basic unit of the electric voltage in the international system of units is 1 volt ( unit symbol V), the symbols U .

1 µV to 1 mV

(0.000 001 V - 0.001 V)

5 µV to 100 µV: voltages that are measured in an EEG

1 mV to 1 V

(0.001 V - 1 V)

a few mV: voltages measured during an EKG
up to 50 mV: zeta potential of particles

1 V to 1 kV

(1 V - 1000 V)

up to 4 V: electrical potential of a galvanic element ( battery ):
- 1.24 V: NiCd or NiMH mono cell
- 1.50 V: alkaline mono cell
- 2.00 V: lead-acid cell
- 3.60 V: lithium cell ( button cell )

Batteries and accumulators from series connection of mono cells:
- 7.2 V ... 9.6 V: 9 volt block (6F22)
- 12 V: starter battery in cars ( battery )
- 24 V: starter battery in truck (battery)

Low voltage systems:
- 12 V: halogen lamp

Power grids for supplying private households:
- 100 V in Japan
- 120 V in the USA
- 220 V in Russia
- 230 V in the European Union

See also: Overview of grid voltages worldwide

500 V… 800 V: trams , underground trains and trolley buses In industrial use, the three-phase alternating voltage of 500 V is mostly used.

1 kV to 1 MV

(1,000 V - 1,000,000 V)

1 kV: The voltage common to a train busbar in Germany today

5… 25 kV: Medium voltage supply networks

15… 25 kV: operating voltage of some railways

110, 220, 380 kV: high and extra high voltage network for continental capacity balancing

1 MV to 1 GM

(1 000 000 V - 1 000 000 000 V)

1.15 MV: Three-phase line Ekibastus – Kökschetau , highest transmission voltage in power grids
10 MV: Lightning between earth and clouds

1 GV to 1 TV

(1 000 000 000 V - 1 000 000 000 000 V)

100 GV: Lightning bolts on Saturn that lead to the formation of spokes in the rings of Saturn.

Furthermore

10 ¹⁸ V: Hall voltage between the equator and the interior of a neutron star.

Individual evidence

^ GH Jones, N. Krupp, H. Krüger, E. Roussos, W.-H. Ip, DG Mitchell, SM Krimigis, J. Woch, A. Lagg, M. Fränz, MK Dougherty, CS Arridge, HJ McAndrews: Formation of Saturn's ring spokes by lightning-induced electron beams. In: Geophys. Res. Lett. Vol. 33, No. 21, 2006, L21202, doi : 10.1029 / 2006GL028146 .

[1] GH Jones, N. Krupp, H. Krüger, E. Roussos, W.-H. Ip, DG Mitchell, SM Krimigis, J. Woch, A. Lagg, M. Fränz, MK Dougherty, CS Arridge, HJ McAndrews: Formation of Saturn's ring spokes by lightning-induced electron beams. In: Geophys. Res. Lett. Vol. 33, No. 21, 2006, L21202, doi : 10.1029 / 2006GL028146 .