Wire Voltage Drop

Estimate round-trip wire voltage drop and percentage loss.

How this calculator works

Enter current (a), one-way length (m), wire resistance (ω/m), supply voltage (v). CalcStack applies the displayed formula and reports each intermediate planning value with the units shown.

Formula / method

Voltage drop = 2 × length × current × resistance per meter

Worked example

20 A over 30 m with 0.00172 Ω/m wire drops about 2.064 V on a 120 V supply.

Assumptions and limitations

Conductors have equal outbound and return length at stable temperature.

Connections, AC impedance, temperature, bundling and code requirements are excluded.