How to Find Amps

Step-by-Step Guide

1. 1

   Step 1: Apply the conversion formula for DC electricity.

   Electric current, represented by I, which is measured in amps (A), can be found by dividing power in watts (W) by the volts (V) of voltage.
   
   This is represented by the following formula:
   I(A) = P(W) / V(V)Or, more simply:
   Amps = Watts / Volts
2. 2

   Step 2: Understand power factor (PF) for AC electricity problems.

   Power factor is a ratio representing the real power used to do work and the apparent power supplied to an alternating current circuit, a value ranging from 0 to
   1.
   
   Therefore, power factor is your real power P, in watts, divided by your apparent power S, measured in Volt-amper (VA), or:
   PF = P / S, Apparent power can be calculated by S = Vrms x Irms where S is the apparent power in Volt-amper (VA), Vrms is your root mean square voltage and Irms is your root mean square current, both which can be found by solving the following:
   Vrms = Vpeak / √2 in volts (V) Irms = Ipeak / √2 in amperes (A) , Your single phase current will be represented by I and measured in amps (A), and can be calculated by dividing the real power (P) measured in watts (W) divided by a power factor (PF) multiplied by the root mean square (RMS) voltage as measured in volts (V).
   
   This is represented by:
   I(A) = P(W) / (PF x V(V)Or, more simply:
   Amps = watts / (PF x Volts)
3. 3

   Step 3: Calculate apparent power to find your power factor.

4. 4

   Step 4: Use the power factor for single phase AC electricity.

Detailed Guide

About the Author