Copper Wire Weight Calculator — Mass by Diameter, Gauge & Length
Calculate the mass of solid copper wire from its diameter (or AWG gauge) and length. Also computes the cross-sectional area and estimated DC resistance — useful for electrical estimating, shipping weight and cable sizing.
Diameter input method
mm
Length unit
Mass of solid copper wire at 20 °C (density 8 960 kg/m³)
2.815 kg
copper wire- 1
Cross-sectional area
π × (2 ÷ 2)² = 3.1416 mm² - 2
Volume of wire
3.1416 mm² × 100 m = 314.1593 cm³1 mm² × 1 m = 10⁻⁶ m³ = 1 cm³; units combine to cm³ - 3
Wire weight
314.1593 cm³ × 8.960 g/cm³ ÷ 1000 = 2.8149
How does this calculator work?
Mass = π(d/2)² × L × 8 960 kg/m³ for solid copper wire. Enter diameter in mm (or pick an AWG gauge) and length in any unit. The calculator also returns cross-section area and DC resistance at 20 °C using copper resistivity 1.724 × 10⁻⁸ Ω·m.
Formula
How this is calculated
Solid copper wire is a cylinder. Its volume is the cross-sectional area times the length: V = π(d/2)² × L. Multiplying by the density of copper (8 960 kg/m³ at 20 °C, the internationally accepted value from NIST) gives the mass in kilograms. The diameter input can be in millimetres or selected by AWG (American Wire Gauge) — AWG diameters are from ASTM B258, the standard governing bare copper wire sizes.
The cross-sectional area is also used to estimate DC resistance from Ohm's law in terms of material properties: R = ρ·L/A, where ρ (resistivity of annealed copper at 20 °C) is 1.724 × 10⁻⁸ Ω·m. This is the resistance at 20 °C; it increases roughly 0.4% per °C, so at 75 °C the resistance is about 22% higher.
Note that this calculator handles solid (single-conductor) copper wire only. Stranded wire has a fill factor less than 1 (typically 0.75–0.91 depending on stranding) so its actual mass is lower than a solid wire of the same nominal diameter. Insulation, tinning or other coatings are not included.
Frequently asked questions
The standard density of pure annealed copper at 20 °C is 8 960 kg/m³ (8.96 g/cm³), as defined by IEC 60028 and consistent with NIST data. Small variations exist for oxygen-free or alloyed coppers.
No. Stranded wire has gaps between the individual strands (fill factor 0.75–0.91), so its mass is less than a solid cylinder of the same overall diameter. For stranded wire, multiply this result by the appropriate fill factor or use the total strand cross-section directly.
Higher AWG numbers mean thinner wire. The AWG system is based on drawing the wire through a series of dies: AWG 0 (8.25 mm) is the thickest listed here, AWG 24 (0.51 mm) the thinnest. Diameters follow ASTM B258.
Also known as
TG we-Calculate Editorial Team. (2026). Copper Wire Weight Calculator — Mass by Diameter, Gauge & Length [Online calculator]. TG we-Calculate. https://we-calculate.com/calculator/copper-wire-weight-calculator
TG we-Calculate Editorial Team. "Copper Wire Weight Calculator — Mass by Diameter, Gauge & Length." TG we-Calculate. 2026. https://we-calculate.com/calculator/copper-wire-weight-calculator.
TG we-Calculate Editorial Team, "Copper Wire Weight Calculator — Mass by Diameter, Gauge & Length," TG we-Calculate, 2026. [Online]. Available: https://we-calculate.com/calculator/copper-wire-weight-calculator
@misc{wecalculate_copper_wire_weight_calculator, title = {Copper Wire Weight Calculator — Mass by Diameter, Gauge & Length}, author = {{TG we-Calculate Editorial Team}}, howpublished = {\url{https://we-calculate.com/calculator/copper-wire-weight-calculator}}, year = {2026}, note = {TG we-Calculate} }
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