microwatt (µW)
1 microwatt = 0.000001 watts
What is microwatt?
A microwatt is a unit of power equal to one millionth of a watt. It is used in ultra-low-power electronics, energy harvesting systems, biosensors, and precision scientific instrumentation.
Notes: Very small power
Real-world uses
Microwatts measure the power of radio frequency (RF) signals received by antennas, ultra-low-power IoT sensors, cardiac pacemaker power consumption, and energy-harvesting devices. Satellite receivers may work with signals in the nanowatt to microwatt range. Wearable health monitors often operate at a few microwatts.
History
Microwatts became a meaningful engineering unit as semiconductor miniaturisation through the 1970s–2000s enabled ultra-low-power circuit design. The proliferation of wireless sensors, implantable medical devices, and battery-free energy harvesting systems in the early 21st century made µW-level power budgeting essential.
Common mistakes
Confusing microwatts (µW) with milliwatts (mW)—a difference of 1,000×. In RF engineering, power is often expressed in dBm (decibels relative to 1 mW), which requires knowing that 0 dBm = 1 mW = 1,000 µW, and negative dBm values correspond to sub-milliwatt levels.
When is this conversion used?
Converting microwatt to watt is useful in the power domain when comparing values across different measurement standards or applying formulas that require a specific unit.
How to convert microwatt to watt
To convert microwatt to watt, multiply the value by 0.000001.
Conversion formula (from base unit)
x * 1e-6
Measurement standards
The watt is the SI derived unit of power, defined as one joule per second (kg·m²/s³). Horsepower remains in widespread informal use, particularly in the automotive industry, but has no single universal definition across regions.
Did you know?
The human body at rest produces about 80 watts of power — roughly enough to keep an incandescent light bulb glowing. During intense exercise, a trained cyclist can sustain over 400 watts, and elite sprinters briefly exceed 2,000 watts.
| microwatts | watts |
|---|---|
| 0.1 | 1.000000e-07 |
| 0.5 | 5.000000e-07 |
| 1 | 0.000001 |
| 2 | 0.000002 |
| 5 | 0.000005 |
| 10 | 0.00001 |
| 25 | 0.000025 |
| 50 | 0.00005 |
| 100 | 0.0001 |
| 250 | 0.00025 |
| 500 | 0.0005 |
| 1,000 | 0.001 |
Common values
| microwatts | watts | |
|---|---|---|
| LED light bulb | 10,000,000 microwatts | 10 watts |
| Desktop computer | 300,000,000 microwatts | 300 watts |
| Microwave oven | 1.000000e+09 microwatts | 1,000 watts |
| Small car engine | 7.500000e+10 microwatts | 75,000 watts |
| Wind turbine (large) | 3.000000e+12 microwatts | 3,000,000 watts |
Full microwatt conversion table
| Unit | Value | Factor |
|---|---|---|
| watt | 1 µW = 0.000001 W | × 0.000001 |
| kilowatt | 1 µW = 1.000000e-09 kW | × 1.000000e-09 |
| horsepower (mechanical) | 1 µW = 1.341022e-09 hp | × 1.341022e-09 |
| megawatt | 1 µW = 1.000000e-12 MW | × 1.000000e-12 |
| gigawatt | 1 µW = 1.000000e-15 GW | × 1.000000e-15 |
| milliwatt | 1 µW = 0.001 mW | × 0.001 |
| BTU per hour | 1 µW = 0.00000341 BTU/h | × 0.00000341 |
| kilocalorie per hour | 1 µW = 8.598452e-07 kcal/h | × 8.598452e-07 |
| ton of refrigeration | 1 µW = 2.843451e-10 TR | × 2.843451e-10 |