Electric Resistance Converter

The 'k' stands for kilohms, so 4.7k ohms equals 4,700 ohms. This is a standard resistor value used in pull-up circuits, voltage dividers and LED current limiting. Similarly, 2.2M means 2,200,000 ohms (2.2 megaohms).

Divide kilohms by 1,000 to get megaohms, or multiply megaohms by 1,000 for kilohms. A 470 kΩ resistor equals 0.47 MΩ. This conversion comes up frequently when reading multimeter displays that auto-range between scales.

LED current-limiting resistors are typically 220-1,000 Ω. Pull-up resistors for I2C run 4.7 kΩ. Audio potentiometers range from 10 kΩ to 1 MΩ. Current sensing shunt resistors use very low values like 10-100 mΩ for minimal voltage drop.

A gigaohm (GΩ) equals 1,000,000,000 ohms. It is used in insulation resistance testing - good cable insulation should measure at least 1 GΩ. PCB surface resistance between traces and electrostatic discharge (ESD) resistance ratings also use gigaohm values.

Insulation resistance must be very high to prevent current leakage and electrical hazards. IEEE and IEC standards specify minimum insulation resistance in megaohms - typically 1 MΩ per kV of operating voltage. A 480V motor should measure at least 1 MΩ, though 100+ MΩ is preferred.