Whether you work in technology, energy, construction, or even just love the thrill of a good math problem, you might be surprised by just how helpful being able to measure siemens can be.

    For accurate conversions between this class of conductance units, check out our free siemens unit calculator.

    But what is this unit, and when did they first come about? This article is here to answer those questions and many more.

    FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS


    What is siemens and what are they used for?

    Siemens are represented by the letter "S" and is a derived unit of electrical conductance in the International System of Units (SI units). You can think of it as a way to measure electrical conductivity.

    It can also measure electrical admittance, and even electrical susceptance.

    In the past, you might have heard these units referred to as "mho." This is because the term "mho" is actually a reciprocal of a singular ohm (AKA, an inverse ohm.)

    Most often, a this measurement is used within science and electrical projects and measurements, but the "mho" is still sometimes used in electronic projects in place of Siemens.

    They're also a perfect solution for those who are looking to take high resistance measurements.

    If you multiply them by imaginary numbers, then you can also determine the susceptance in an alternating current.

    The same thing goes for any kind of radio frequency projects.

    How much is 1 siemens?

    It's important to clarify that the term "siemens" can be used in both a singular and the plural sense.

    In the simplest possible terms, you'll know that some sort of device is currently carrying 1 S when its electric current goes up by one ampere for every increase of one volt of electrical potential.

    Assuming that your device has a direct current circuit, it's much easier to just think that one S is the same thing as one ohm.

    However, because conductance and resistance are actually the reciprocals of one another, it's not quite that simple.

    So, let's say that "R" is the resistance in ohms, and that "S" is the overall conductance as measured in siemens.

    In this case, R would be equal to 1 / S and S would be equal to 1 / R.

    How do you measure siemens?

    There are lots of tools and devices out there that allow you to properly measure this unit.

    But the truth is that often, the easiest way to take these measurements is to convert other units into siemens.

    How do you convert?

    As you've likely picked up on so far, it can be tough to get the math done right when you're trying to convert siemens to other units of conductance.

    So, what's the solution -- especially if math isn't exactly your strong suit?

    The smartest thing for you to do is to use an electric conductance calculator, as well as a table that allows you to easily convert from one unit into another.

    This ensures that the calculations will be exact.

    To use our tool, all you need to do is choose the unit of electric conductance that you've been given, then choose the unit that you're looking to convert that into.

    Then, put in your numbers, and you're good to go!

    When would you have to convert siemens?

    In general, you'll most often have to convert into microsiemens. However, you may also need to transfer them into volts or amperes, kilosiemens, or even megasiemens.

    This is usually because you're working on a project that requires a much more exact measurement when it comes to electrical conductivity.

    One S is the same as 1,000,000 microsiemens.

    You may need to occasionally convert "mho" measurements. Luckily, 1 S is equivalent to 1 mho.

    In some cases, you might even find yourself needing to convert reciprocal S into ohms.

    When were they developed?

    These units perhaps aren't as old as you might be expecting.

    In fact, they only came about as a unit in 1971, and they were named for Ernst Werner von Siemens. It was officially defined over the course of the 14th General Conference on Weights and Measures.

    He was a German inventor, and he even made a telegraph that used a needle to select specific letters, thus eliminating the need for Morse code.

    He founded the company that would later go onto become Siemens AG, the biggest industrial manufacturing brand in the entire continent of Europe.

    We hope that this guide has helped you understand how this measurement is used in electrical conductivity.

    Of course, we also know that you're likely very curious about all the other kinds of units and measurements that are out there. That's where we can help.

    Spend some time on our website to access awesome calculators that make taking measurements easier than ever.

    Tell your friends about us!