Copper Wire Weight Calculator

Estimate the weight of solid copper wire or cable from its diameter, length, and number of strands, using copper's standard density of 8.96 g/cm³.

Quick Facts

Density of copper
ρ = 8.96 g/cm³ (8,960 kg/m³)
Standard reference density for pure copper at room temperature.
Cross-sectional area
A = (π/4) × d²
Computed from the wire's diameter d, not its radius.
Weight formula
m = ρ × L × A
Density times length times cross-sectional area gives mass.

Your Results

Calculated
Total Weight (kg)
-
m = ρ × L × A
Total Weight (lb)
-
1 kg = 2.2046 lb
Cross-Sectional Area
-
A = (π/4) × diameter²
Estimated Material Cost
-
Weight × price per kg

Ready

Enter wire length, diameter, and strand count, then press Calculate.

Formula and Method for Copper Wire Weight

The weight of a length of copper wire depends on just three things: how long it is, how thick it is, and the density of copper itself. The cross-sectional area of a round wire comes from its diameter, A = (π/4) × d². Multiplying that area by the wire's length gives its volume, and multiplying volume by copper's density gives mass: m = ρ × L × A, where ρ = 8.96 g/cm³ (8,960 kg/m³) is the standard density of pure copper at room temperature.

How the calculation works

Enter the wire length and its unit, the wire diameter and its unit, and the number of individual wires or strands (use a value greater than 1 for bundled conductors or multi-core cable, where every strand adds its own weight). The calculator converts length to meters and diameter to millimeters, computes the cross-sectional area with A = (π/4) × d², multiplies area by length and strand count to get total copper volume, then multiplies that volume by copper's density (8.96 g/cm³) to get mass in kilograms. It also converts that mass to pounds (1 kg = 2.2046 lb) and, if you enter a copper price per kilogram, multiplies the weight by that price to estimate material cost.

Common mistakes

  • Entering radius instead of diameter: the formula uses the full diameter (wire thickness across), not the radius — using radius by mistake will overstate the weight by 4x.
  • Ignoring insulation weight: this calculator returns the weight of bare copper conductor only; PVC, THHN, or other jacket material adds additional weight not captured here.
  • Forgetting strand count: a 3-conductor cable or a bundle of parallel wires contains multiple lengths of copper — leaving strand count at 1 will undercount the total copper weight.
  • Mixing diameter and length units: make sure the diameter unit (mm or in) and length unit (m, ft, yd, km, or mi) each match what you actually measured before calculating.

Real-world applications

  • Electricians and estimators use wire weight to price out copper conductor on a job before ordering material.
  • Cable tray, conduit, and support design uses total conductor weight to check load ratings and support spacing.
  • Shipping and spool logistics rely on weight estimates to calculate freight costs and spool capacity.
  • Scrap and recycling calculations use copper weight and current market price per kilogram to estimate payout.

Frequently Asked Questions

What formula does this calculator use for copper wire weight?
It uses m = ρ × L × A, where A = (π/4) × d² is the wire's cross-sectional area from its diameter d, L is the wire length, and ρ is the density of copper (8.96 g/cm³, or 8,960 kg/m³). Multiply the volume (L × A) by the density to get mass, then convert to the weight unit you need.
Does this calculator include the weight of insulation or jacket material?
No. This calculates the weight of the bare copper conductor only. Insulated wire (such as THHN or PVC-jacketed cable) weighs more — check the manufacturer's cable weight spec if you need the insulated total.
How do I find the diameter for a specific AWG wire gauge?
Use d(mm) = 0.127 × 92^((36 − AWG)/39), or a wire gauge table. Common sizes: AWG 14 ≈ 1.628 mm, AWG 12 ≈ 2.053 mm, AWG 10 ≈ 2.588 mm, AWG 8 ≈ 3.264 mm. Enter that diameter with the millimeter unit selected.
Why does this calculator use 8.96 g/cm³ for copper density?
8.96 g/cm³ is the standard reference density for pure copper at room temperature (CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics). Commercial electrical copper is at least 99.9% pure, so this value gives an accurate bare-conductor weight estimate.

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