Understanding milliteslas to gauss Conversion
The millitesla (mT) is one-thousandth of the tesla, the SI unit of magnetic flux density (magnetic field strength). The gauss (G) is the corresponding CGS unit, still widely used for magnets, MRI shim fields, and geomagnetic work. Since 1 tesla equals 10,000 gauss, one millitesla equals 10 gauss, making this a common conversion for magnet specifications and laboratory instruments that report in gauss.
Conversion Formula
To convert milliteslas to gauss, multiply by this factor:
Step-by-Step Example
Convert 25 milliteslas to gauss.
How to Convert milliteslas to gauss
Converting the SI millitesla to the CGS gauss uses one fixed factor.
- Take the field in milliteslas: For example, a magnet rated at 25 mT.
- Multiply by 10: Each millitesla equals 10 gauss.
- Report in gauss: The result matches magnet and MRI datasheet conventions.
- Worked result: 25 mT × 10 = 250 gauss.
milliteslas to gauss conversion table
| milliteslas (mT) | gauss (G) |
|---|---|
| 0 | 0 |
| 1 | 10 |
| 2 | 20 |
| 3 | 30 |
| 4 | 40 |
| 5 | 50 |
| 6 | 60 |
| 7 | 70 |
| 8 | 80 |
| 9 | 90 |
| 10 | 100 |
| 15 | 150 |
| 20 | 200 |
| 25 | 250 |
| 30 | 300 |
| 40 | 400 |
| 50 | 500 |
| 60 | 600 |
| 70 | 700 |
| 80 | 800 |
| 90 | 900 |
| 100 | 1000 |
| 150 | 1500 |
| 200 | 2000 |
| 250 | 2500 |
| 300 | 3000 |
| 400 | 4000 |
| 500 | 5000 |
| 600 | 6000 |
| 700 | 7000 |
| 800 | 8000 |
| 900 | 9000 |
| 1000 | 10000 |
| 2000 | 20000 |
| 3000 | 30000 |
| 4000 | 40000 |
| 5000 | 50000 |
| 10000 | 100000 |
| 25000 | 250000 |
| 50000 | 500000 |
| 100000 | 1000000 |
| 250000 | 2500000 |
| 500000 | 5000000 |
| 1000000 | 10000000 |
What is the Millitesla?
The millitesla is a decimal submultiple of the tesla, the SI unit of magnetic flux density. It is a convenient scale for describing moderately strong magnetic fields such as those near permanent magnets and small electromagnets.
Definition
One millitesla is one thousandth of a tesla.
In SI base units, . Because one gauss equals tesla, one millitesla equals exactly 10 gauss, a relation that makes the millitesla especially handy when translating between SI and legacy CGS field measurements.
Origin and History
The millitesla inherits its name from Nikola Tesla via the tesla, adopted into the SI in 1960, combined with the standard SI prefix "milli" (one thousandth), introduced in the metric system's prefix scheme. It became a practical working unit as magnetic measurements standardized on SI in the later 20th century.
Law and Notable Facts
As a coherent SI submultiple, the millitesla is fully sanctioned for scientific and engineering use. Many benchtop laboratory magnets, magnetic separators, and material-testing fields fall naturally in the tens-to-hundreds of millitesla range, bridging the gap between weak ambient fields and the multi-tesla fields of MRI or research magnets.
Real-World Examples and Conversions
- A small solenoid or relay coil field is often a few millitesla.
- A typical hard-disk or speaker magnet produces a few hundred millitesla near its poles.
- Earth's field of about 50 microtesla equals 0.05 mT.
- 1 mT = 0.001 T = 10 gauss = 1000 microtesla.
What is the Gauss?
The gauss is the CGS (centimetre-gram-second) unit of magnetic flux density, still widely used in physics, geomagnetism, and the magnet industry. It measures the strength of a magnetic B-field and is named after the mathematician and physicist Carl Friedrich Gauss.
Definition
One gauss equals one maxwell per square centimetre, and is defined in SI terms as exactly one ten-thousandth of a tesla.
Equivalently, , and . The gauss corresponds to a magnetic flux of one maxwell threading a one-square-centimetre area perpendicular to the field.
Origin and History
The unit honors Carl Friedrich Gauss (1777–1855), who with Wilhelm Weber pioneered absolute measurements of the geomagnetic field. The name "gauss" was assigned to this CGS-EMU unit of magnetic induction by the International Electrotechnical Commission around 1930, formalizing usage that had grown throughout 19th-century electromagnetism.
Law and Notable Facts
The gauss is not an SI unit; the SI equivalent is the tesla. However, it remains entrenched in practice, and manufacturers routinely rate permanent magnets in gauss or kilogauss. The residual field strength of magnetic materials (remanence) for strong neodymium magnets is around 12,000–14,000 gauss (1.2–1.4 T).
Real-World Examples and Conversions
- Earth's surface magnetic field is about 0.25–0.65 gauss (25–65 microtesla).
- A typical refrigerator magnet is roughly 50–100 gauss at its surface.
- A 1.5 T MRI scanner corresponds to 15,000 gauss.
- 1 gauss = 0.0001 T = 0.1 mT = 100 microtesla.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many gauss are in a millitesla?
One millitesla equals 10 gauss, following from the fact that 1 tesla is 10,000 gauss.
Why is the gauss still used alongside the tesla?
Magnet manufacturers, MRI technicians, and geophysicists often report field strengths in gauss for historical reasons, so mT values from SI instruments are converted to gauss to match datasheets.
What is a common fridge-magnet field in these units?
A typical refrigerator magnet is around 5 mT, or about 50 gauss.
How do I convert 100 milliteslas to gauss?
Multiply 100 by 10 to get 1000 gauss.
Do millitesla and gauss measure the same quantity?
Yes, both measure magnetic flux density; the tesla-based unit is SI while the gauss is CGS, differing by fixed decimal factors.
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Complete milliteslas conversion table
| Unit | Result |
|---|---|
| teslas (T) | 0.001 T |
| microteslas (uT) | 1000 uT |
| gauss (G) | 10 G |
| milligauss (mG) | 10000 mG |