Convert Picowatts to Microwatts
Convert Picowatts (pW) to Microwatts (µW) instantly and accurately.
Conversion Formula
µW = pW × 1.000000000e-6
About Picowatts
A picowatt (pW) is 10⁻¹² W - the power scale of the most sensitive radio receivers. GPS satellites transmit 20-50 W; by the time that signal spans 20,000 km, the received power is ~0.1 pW (−130 dBm). Radio telescopes routinely detect cosmic signals in the picowatt range. Qubit control electronics in quantum computers must resolve energy differences at picowatt scales. Photodetectors in single-photon counting mode, hard drive head read-back signals at idle, and deep-shadow solar cells also operate at picowatt levels. 1 pW = 10⁻¹² W.
About Microwatts
A microwatt (µW) is 10⁻⁶ W - the operational power band for autonomous IoT sensors and energy-harvesting wearables. Quartz oscillators in microcontrollers consume 1-10 µW; thermoelectric wearables harvesting body heat produce 10-100 µW. NFC tags derive ~10-200 µW from the reader field. Cochlear implants and implantable glucose sensors operate at microwatt levels to minimise tissue heating. 1 µW = 10⁻⁶ W.
Quick Reference Table
| Picowatts (pW) | Microwatts (µW) |
|---|---|
| 1 pW | 1 × 10-6 µW |
| 2 pW | 2 × 10-6 µW |
| 5 pW | 5 × 10-6 µW |
| 10 pW | 1 × 10-5 µW |
| 25 pW | 2.5 × 10-5 µW |
| 50 pW | 5 × 10-5 µW |
| 100 pW | 1 × 10-4 µW |