Copper Wire Weight Per Meter Calculator

1) Why weight per meter matters

Wire mass per meter affects cost estimates, shipping, installation effort, and mechanical loading on supports. In electrical design, heavier conductors often correlate with lower resistance and reduced heating, but they also increase bundle weight and strain relief requirements.

2) Core physics behind the calculator

The calculation is driven by mass per length, m′ = ρA. Copper density near room temperature is commonly taken around 8960 kg/m³. Cross‑sectional area A comes from geometry: for round wire A = π(d/2)², while rectangular busbars use A = width × thickness.

3) Typical reference values you may see

Manufacturers often specify conductor size as mm² (for example 1.5, 2.5, 4, 6, 10, 16 mm²). For a 2.5 mm² copper conductor at 20°C, mass per meter is roughly 8960 × 2.5×10⁻⁶ ≈ 0.0224 kg/m, or about 22.4 g/m. As another check, 4 mm² is about 35.8 g/m and 10 mm² is about 89.6 g/m, helping you sanity‑check spool and bundle weights quickly.

4) Gauge, diameter, and area connections

When you only know AWG, the tool converts AWG to diameter using the standard exponential relationship. Because mass scales with area, small diameter changes produce noticeable mass changes. Doubling diameter increases area and mass by about four times for round wire.

5) Stranded conductors and packing reality

Stranded wire is modeled as n identical strands: A = nπ(ds/2)². Real strands have small voids between them, but datasheets typically quote copper area directly, which already accounts for strand count. If you have mm² from a datasheet, prefer the area mode.

6) Temperature effects on density

As temperature rises, copper expands slightly, reducing density. The calculator applies a simple correction ρ(T)=ρ₀/(1+β(T−20°C)). Over typical operating ranges, the change is modest, yet it can matter for long cable runs, large spools, and tight weight budgets.

7) Adding insulation for realistic cable mass

Cable weight is not only copper. When insulation is enabled, the tool estimates added mass from an outer diameter equal to conductor diameter plus two times insulation thickness. Using an insulation density near 1200 kg/m³ gives reasonable first‑pass results for PVC‑like materials.

8) Practical workflow and reporting

Start with the most reliable input: datasheet area (mm²), then gauge, then measured dimensions. Validate outputs by checking whether g/m aligns with supplier catalog values for similar sizes. Export CSV for quotations and BOMs, and generate a PDF for project records.

1) Is “weight” the same as “mass” in this tool?
Mass is reported in g/m and kg/m. Weight is the gravitational force in N/m, computed as mass × g. Use mass for shipping and material, weight for structural loading.

2) Which input mode is most accurate?
The cross‑sectional area (mm²) mode is usually best because manufacturers specify copper area directly. It avoids uncertainty from diameter measurement, strand gaps, and roundness tolerances.

3) Why does stranded wire sometimes differ from catalog values?
Catalogs may include insulation, fillers, jackets, or plating. The stranded mode estimates copper only from strand count and diameter. Use insulation mode or datasheet total cable mass when available.

4) What copper density should I use?
8960 kg/m³ is a common room‑temperature reference. If your supplier specifies a different density for a particular alloy or oxygen‑free copper grade, enter that value for consistency.

5) Does temperature correction significantly change results?
Usually it is small for everyday wiring. It becomes more relevant for very long runs, large coils, or engineering weight limits, where small percentage changes accumulate into noticeable totals.

6) Can I compute rectangular busbar mass per meter?
Yes. Choose “By dimensions,” set shape to rectangular, and enter width and thickness. The tool uses area = width × thickness and multiplies by density to obtain kg/m and g/m.

7) Why do my measured diameters give different mass than mm² ratings?
Measurement tools, insulation remnants, ovality, and manufacturing tolerances affect diameter. mm² ratings usually refer to copper area, not outer diameter. Prefer datasheet area for matching published weights.