Conductance Calculator

Enter a resistance in ohms to get the conductance.

Result

0.004545 S
4.55 mS

How it is calculated

The tool takes one number, the resistance R in ohms (Ω), and returns G = 1 / R in siemens (S). The result is shown rounded to six decimal places in siemens and, separately, as G × 1000 in millisiemens (mS) rounded to two decimals. Resistance must be strictly greater than zero: an empty field, zero or a negative value gives no result, because 1/0 is undefined and this tool does not model negative resistance. Because small conductances are tiny numbers, a very large resistance (several megaohms) will round towards 0.000000 S in the siemens line; use the resistance directly in that case.

Worked example

Take a 220 Ω resistor. Divide 1 by 220: 1 / 220 = 0.0045454…. Rounded to six decimals that is 0.004545 S. Multiplying the unrounded value by 1000 gives 4.5454… mS, shown as 4.55 mS. As a check, 1 / 0.004545 S is about 220 Ω, and a 440 Ω resistor would have exactly half this conductance.

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Common mistakes

  • Entering the resistance in kilohms or megohms while the field expects plain ohms. A 4.7 kΩ resistor must be typed as 4700, otherwise the answer is 1000 times too large.
  • Typing 0 for a short circuit or a wire. The conductance would be infinite, so the tool returns nothing instead of a number.
  • Adding conductances of parallel parts after converting each one by hand and then forgetting to convert the sum back: parallel conductances add directly, but the equivalent resistance is the reciprocal of that sum.
  • Reading the millisiemens line as the siemens value. 4.55 mS is 0.00455 S, not 4.55 S.

About this calculator

Electrical conductance (G) is the reciprocal of resistance, G = 1/R, expressed in siemens (S) — a unit named after German engineer Werner von Siemens and defined as amperes per volt. Where resistance tells you how strongly a component opposes current, conductance tells you how easily current flows through it, which is the more natural quantity when components are combined in parallel: parallel conductances simply add (G_total = G1 + G2 + ...), unlike parallel resistances.

Electrical and electronics engineers reach for conductance when analyzing parallel networks, admittance in AC circuits (where conductance is the real part of admittance, Y = G + jB), and in semiconductor datasheets that specify transconductance-related parameters for transistors and MOSFETs.

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Comments (1)

  • Editorial team

    Conductance is handy for parallel branches because you simply add the values. Take 100 and 300 ohm resistors: 10.00 mS plus 3.33 mS is 13.33 mS, and the reciprocal is about 75 ohms. Because the display rounds, that sum gives 75.02 rather than exactly 75, so work from the unrounded fractions if you need precision. Also note that resistance changes with temperature, so G holds for the temperature you measured at. What circuit are you analysing?

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