Copper and aluminium conductor weight calculator
The metal content of a cable drives its price. Enter the conductor size, cores and length for the copper or aluminium weight, or read it off the table below.
Basis
Weight = area × density × lay factor × cores. Densities: copper 8.89 g/cm³, aluminium 2.703 g/cm³; lay factor 1.02 for stranded conductors.
Reference values for planning and comparison. Confirm against the current standard, the purchaser’s specification and the manufacturer’s datasheet before ordering.
Conductor weight table (kg/km per core, stranded)
| Size | Copper kg/km | Aluminium kg/km |
|---|---|---|
| 1.5 mm² | 13.6 | 4.1 |
| 2.5 mm² | 22.7 | 6.9 |
| 4 mm² | 36.3 | 11 |
| 6 mm² | 54.4 | 16.5 |
| 10 mm² | 90.7 | 27.6 |
| 16 mm² | 145.1 | 44.1 |
| 25 mm² | 226.7 | 68.9 |
| 35 mm² | 317.4 | 96.5 |
| 50 mm² | 453.4 | 137.9 |
| 70 mm² | 634.7 | 193 |
| 95 mm² | 861.4 | 261.9 |
| 120 mm² | 1,088 | 330.8 |
| 150 mm² | 1,360 | 413.6 |
| 185 mm² | 1,678 | 510.1 |
| 240 mm² | 2,176 | 661.7 |
| 300 mm² | 2,720 | 827.1 |
| 400 mm² | 3,627 | 1,103 |
| 500 mm² | 4,534 | 1,379 |
| 630 mm² | 5,713 | 1,737 |
Worked example: Aluminium in 1 km of 3.5 core 300 mm² cable
- 3.5 core means three 300 mm² phases and a 150 mm² neutral: 1,050 mm² of aluminium.
- 300 × 2.703 × 1.02 × 3.5 = 2,895 kg per km.
- Add armour and sheath weight from the datasheet for transport.
What is the weight of a 1 mm² copper conductor?
About 8.89 kg per km solid, roughly 9.07 kg per km stranded with a 1.02 lay factor.
How much copper is in a 4 core 95 mm² cable?
About 95 × 8.89 × 1.02 × 4 ≈ 3,446 kg of copper per km, before armour and sheath.
Why is aluminium cable cheaper?
Aluminium is about a third of copper’s density and cheaper per kg, so even after upsizing for its higher resistance the conductor costs less.