Watt to Decibel-watt Converter
0.5 W is about -3.010299957 dBW. Convert watts (W) to decibel-watts (dBW) below: type a value and the result updates as you type.
W to dBW calculator
Result
Watt to Decibel-watt conversion
1 W = 0 dBWone watt in decibel-watts
1 dBW ≈ 1.258925412 Wone decibel-watt in watts
Watt (W): SI derived unit: one joule per second.
Decibel-watt (dBW): Power level relative to one watt: 10 times the base-10 logarithm of the power in watts. 0 dBW is 1 W.
Source:Watt: SI Brochure, 9th edition (BIPM, 2019); Decibel-watt: IEC 60027-3:2002, Logarithmic and related quantities, and their units
How to convert watts to decibel-watts
To convert watts to decibel-watts, take the base-10 logarithm of the amount, then multiply by 10.
Formula
dBW = 10 × log₁₀(W)
Examples
- 0.5 W = 10 × log₁₀(0.5) ≈ -3.010299957 dBW
- 1 W = 10 × log₁₀(1) = 0 dBW
- 100 W = 10 × log₁₀(100) = 20 dBW
Watt to Decibel-watt conversion table
| Watt (W) | Decibel-watt (dBW) |
|---|---|
| 0.001 W | -30 dBW |
| 0.01 W | -20 dBW |
| 0.1 W | -10 dBW |
| 0.5 W | -3.010299957 dBW |
| 1 W | 0 dBW |
| 2 W | 3.010299957 dBW |
| 5 W | 6.989700043 dBW |
| 10 W | 10 dBW |
| 20 W | 13.01029996 dBW |
| 50 W | 16.98970004 dBW |
| 100 W | 20 dBW |
| 1000 W | 30 dBW |
Values rounded to 10 significant digits where needed.
Frequently asked questions
- What is 0.5 W in dBW?
- 0.5 W is about -3.010299957 dBW. To convert watts to decibel-watts, take the base-10 logarithm of the amount, then multiply by 10.
- How do I convert decibel-watts to watts?
- To convert decibel-watts to watts, divide the level by 10, raise 10 to that power. The formula is W = 10^(dBW ÷ 10).
- Is this conversion exact?
- Yes. Both units have exact definitions and the factor 1 is exact. Displayed results are only rounded when they have many decimal places.