Last updated: Jul 27, 2024

Copper Wire Weight Calculator

Q: How do I calculate the weight of a copper wire?

To calculate the weight of 1 m round copper wire , you need to: Measure the diameter of a wire. Divide the diameter by 2 , obtaining the radius. Square the radius and multiply it by π ( 3.14 ). Determine density for pure copper: 8.96 g/cm³ or 559 lb/ft³ . Multiply the copper density by the cross-sectional area by a length of 1 m.

Q: Is copper heavier than iron?

Yes! Pure copper has a higher density than iron, so 1 tonne or 1 cubic foot of copper will weigh more than iron. A cubic foot of copper weighs 559 lb , compared to 491 lb for iron. Despite this, copper is still not the heaviest metal, and silver or gold is even heavier than it. When you see thieves carrying bars of gold in a movie, you know they are faking it!

Q: Why don't we use copper wire everywhere?

Copper wire is commonly used in the transmission of electrical messages , but has little range and loses signal easily . Aluminium is often used in transmission lines instead of copper because it is much cheaper .

Q: How much does 2/0 copper wire weigh per foot?

0.406 lb or 0.184 kg . To calculate this: Take a look at the copper wire size chart and note the diameter ( D ) of the 2/0 wire : 0.3648 in . Apply the following equation: π × (D/2)² × length × metal density = π × (D/2)² × 1 foot × 559 lb/ft³ = 0.406 lb .

Created by Joanna Śmietańska, PhD

Joanna Śmietańska

PhD, AGH University of Krakow, Cracow, Poland

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A Ph.D. student in physics, she has previously worked on several research topics, including photocatalysis and organic energy storage systems. Currently, she is studying the crystallography of complex systems. Heavily fascinated by solving scientific problems, when she is not conducting workshops with students, she enjoys hiking and playing board games. Once the author of the movie review section in the high school newspaper and an active user of the film portals, she now regularly visits cinemas to keep up to date with news and trivia. See full profile

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Reviewed by Steven Wooding

Steven Wooding

Physicist holding a 1st class degree and a member of the Institute of Physics. Creator of the UK vaccine queue calculator, and featured in many publications, including The Sun, Daily Mail, Express, and Independent. Tenacious in researching answers to questions and has an affection for coding. Hobbies include cycling, walking, and birdwatching. You can find him on Twitter @OmniSteve. See full profile

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Table of contents

What are different types of copper wire?How much does a foot of copper wire weight?Example of how to use copper wire weight calculator Copper wire weight per foot chart FAQs

With this copper wire weight calculator, you can calculate with ease the weight of pure copper or alloys of various forms, including round wire, hexagon, square, and rectangle.

Estimating the copper wire weight per foot is significant if you are a buyer or engineer who wants to understand how much material they need for a particular order or application. Also, you don't need to know what the different types of copper wire are; you just need to reach for data from our copper wire size chart, which will help you check:

How much does a foot of copper wire weigh?
What is the weight of 4/0 copper wire weight per foot?

Are you interested in similar calculations for other metals besides copper and its alloys? Then also Check our metal weight calculator and the wire size calculator.

What are different types of copper wire?

A copper wire is not the same as a copper cable, as it usually contains a single conductor of electrical signals. Why is copper wire essential for conducting electricity? Because no other metal can compete with copper's conductivity and copper can be stretched more than other metals. Learn more about the electrical conductivity of copper in our conductivity to resistivity calculator.

💡 Copper was first used by man over 10,000 years ago and has been used in electrical conductors and telephone lines since the 1820s. Thereby, it is the oldest known metal still used in construction!

There are many copper alloys, but you have probably heard of the oldest ones:

Brass – a reddish alloy of copper (chemical symbol: Cu) and zinc (Zn) in various proportions. It may also contain other elements. This alloy conducts heat well and has a low melting point.
Bronze – an alloy mainly containing copper (Cu) and 12% tin (Sn) and other elements. Due to its hardness and high corrosion resistance, it has a wide range of applications, from art to electronics.

How much does a foot of copper wire weight?

It may seem that our copper wire weight calculator performs very spectacular operations, but everything is based on the relationship between the weight, volume, and density of a material:

density = weight / volume

Check density units here. After a simple transformation:

weight = density × volume

The density depends on the type of alloy used, and the volume formulae will vary for the cross-sectional shapes. In general, volume = cross-sectional area × length, so:

weight = density × cross-sectional area × length

It is now sufficient to substitute the expressions for the area for wires with different cross-sections, e.g., for a round wire with diameter D (note that in this case, the radius R = D/2):

\small \mathrm{CWW} = \pi \cdot \left(\frac{D}{2}\right)^2 \cdot L \cdot \rho

where:

$\rm CWW$ – Copper weight wire;
$D$ – Diameter of the wire;
$L$ – Length of the wire, and
$\rho$ – Density of the copper or its alloy.

The method is the same for other wire shapes; simply multiply the cross-sectional area by the length by the density. For example, for square wire with side length A:

\small \mathrm{CWW} = A \cdot A \cdot L \cdot \rho = A^2 \cdot L \cdot \rho

To calculate the copper wire weight per foot, simply enter 1 foot (or 0.3048 cm) into the "Length" field and let our calculator find the weight for you.

For example, 1 foot of 0.46 in (1.168 cm) diameter round pure copper wire will weigh 0.645 lb (or 0.293 kg).

Example of how to use copper wire weight calculator

This calculator is very simple and intuitive to use. It only requires a few pieces of information:

Define the shape of your wire: round, square, rectangular, or hexagonal. Let's assume you have a square wire.
Select the type of material; pure copper is the default, but you can also choose from dozens of alloys of different densities, e.g., yellow brass with density ρ = 8.47 g/cm³.
Set the side of the wire as 5 mm.
If you want to calculate the weight per meter, set 1 m in the "Length" field. You will get a 0.212 kg (0.467 lb). Otherwise, measure the length of your wire and use this value.

Copper wire weight per foot chart

Mass-produced copper wire is characterized by a certain wire size standard related to its diameter. Below you will find a pure copper wire size chart with copper wire weight per foot (in pounds).

Size	Diameter (in)	Weight (lb/foot)
0000 (4/0)	0.46	0.646
000 (3/0)	0.4096	0.512
00 (2/0)	0.3648	0.406
0 (1/0)	0.3249	0.322
1	0.2893	0.255
2	0.2576	0.202
3	0.2294	0.161
4	0.2043	0.127
6	0.162	0.080
8	0.1285	0.050
10	0.1019	0.032
12	0.0808	0.020
14	0.0641	0.013

Looking at this copper wire weight per foot chart, you can simply answer how much 4/0 copper wire weight per foot. The weight is 0.646 lb (0.293 kg).

Typical domestic copper wiring has a size 12 or 14. The telephone wire is usually 22, 24, or 26. The higher the size, the smaller the diameter and the thinner the wire.

FAQs

How do I calculate the weight of a copper wire?

To calculate the weight of 1 m round copper wire, you need to:

Measure the diameter of a wire.
Divide the diameter by 2, obtaining the radius.
Square the radius and multiply it by π (3.14).
Determine density for pure copper: 8.96 g/cm³ or 559 lb/ft³.
Multiply the copper density by the cross-sectional area by a length of 1 m.

Is copper heavier than iron?

Yes! Pure copper has a higher density than iron, so 1 tonne or 1 cubic foot of copper will weigh more than iron. A cubic foot of copper weighs 559 lb, compared to 491 lb for iron. Despite this, copper is still not the heaviest metal, and silver or gold is even heavier than it. When you see thieves carrying bars of gold in a movie, you know they are faking it!

Why don't we use copper wire everywhere?

Copper wire is commonly used in the transmission of electrical messages, but has little range and loses signal easily. Aluminium is often used in transmission lines instead of copper because it is much cheaper.

How much does 2/0 copper wire weigh per foot?

0.406 lb or 0.184 kg. To calculate this:

Take a look at the copper wire size chart and note the diameter (D) of the 2/0 wire: 0.3648 in.
Apply the following equation:
π × (D/2)² × length × metal density = π × (D/2)² × 1 foot × 559 lb/ft³ = 0.406 lb.