Pressure Converter
Convert between units of pressure including pascals, bars, atmospheres, psi, torr, and mmHg. Essential for engineering, meteorology, physics, and medical applications.
Convert Pressure Units
Enter a pressure value and select the units to convert between:
1 atm = 101,325 Pa • 1 bar = 100,000 Pa • 1 psi = 6,895 Pa • 1 mmHg = 133.3 Pa
Understanding Pressure Units
Pressure is defined as force per unit area and is measured in various units depending on the application and industry. Understanding different pressure units is essential for engineering, medicine, and meteorology.
Pressure Unit Systems
⚡ SI Units (International System)
Pascal (Pa): Base unit of pressure
Kilopascal (kPa): 1,000 Pa
Megapascal (MPa): Material strength
Used in physics and modern engineering
Force per unit area (N/m²)
🌤️ Atmospheric Units
Bar: 100,000 Pa, meteorology
Millibar (mbar): Weather reports
Atmosphere (atm): Standard pressure
Used in weather forecasting
Based on Earth's atmosphere
🏥 Medical Units
Millimeters of Mercury (mmHg)
Torr: Same as mmHg
Centimeters of Water (cmH₂O)
Used for blood pressure
Traditional medical measurements
Complete Pressure Conversion Table
| Unit | Symbol | Pascals | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pascal | Pa | 1 | SI base unit of pressure |
| Kilopascal | kPa | 1,000 | Common in engineering |
| Megapascal | MPa | 1,000,000 | Material strength testing |
| Bar | bar | 100,000 | Meteorology and engineering |
| Millibar | mbar | 100 | Weather reports |
| Atmosphere | atm | 101,325 | Standard atmospheric pressure |
| PSI | lbf/in² | 6,895 | Tire pressure, hydraulics |
| PSF | lbf/ft² | 47.88 | Building loads |
| Torr | Torr | 133.32 | Vacuum measurements |
| mmHg | mmHg | 133.32 | Blood pressure |
| inHg | inHg | 3,386 | Weather barometers |
| cmH₂O | cmH₂O | 98.07 | Medical respiratory pressure |
| mmH₂O | mmH₂O | 9.807 | Low pressure measurements |
| inH₂O | inH₂O | 249.09 | HVAC duct pressure |
Common Pressure Values
| Application | Typical Pressure | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Standard Atmosphere | 101,325 Pa | Sea level air pressure |
| Atmospheric Pressure | 1 atm | Standard atmosphere |
| Car Tire Pressure | 32 psi | Typical passenger car |
| Blood Pressure (systolic) | 120 mmHg | Normal adult blood pressure |
| Weather Report | 1,013.25 mbar | Standard sea level pressure |
| HVAC Duct | 0.5 inH₂O | Air conditioning system |
| Scuba Tank | 3,000 psi | High-pressure diving cylinder |
| Steam Boiler | 2 bar | Typical residential boiler |
| High Vacuum | 0.001 torr | Laboratory vacuum chamber |
| Medical Ventilator | 20 cmH₂O | Peak inspiratory pressure |
Blood Pressure Ranges
🩸 Normal Blood Pressure
Systolic: 90-120 mmHg
Diastolic: 60-80 mmHg
Mean arterial: 70-105 mmHg
Used for cardiovascular health
Standard medical measurement
⚕️ Medical Pressure Ranges
Hypertension: >140/90 mmHg
Hypotension: <90/60 mmHg
Prehypertension: 120-139/80-89 mmHg
Guidelines vary by age
Regular monitoring important
🏥 Respiratory Pressures
Peak inspiratory: 20-30 cmH₂O
PEEP: 5-10 cmH₂O
Mean airway: 10-15 cmH₂O
Ventilator settings
Critical care measurements
Weather and Atmospheric Pressure
🌤️ Weather Patterns
High pressure: >1,013 mbar
Low pressure: <1,013 mbar
Hurricane: <980 mbar
Storm tracking
Weather forecasting
✈️ Aviation Altimetry
Standard pressure: 29.92 inHg
Altimeter setting
QNH vs QFE
Flight level calculations
Pressure altitude
🏔️ High Altitude
Mount Everest summit: ~330 mbar
Commercial aircraft: 565 mbar
Space station: ~1 mbar
Pressure suits required
Physiological effects
Industrial and Engineering Applications
🏭 Hydraulic Systems
Typical pressure: 2,000-5,000 psi
Heavy machinery hydraulics
Construction equipment
Industrial presses
Safety considerations
🔧 Pneumatic Systems
Shop air: 90-120 psi
Compressed air tools
Control systems
Air brakes
Efficiency optimization
⚡ SCUBA Diving
Tank pressure: 3,000 psi
Working pressure: 3,000 psi
Surface air consumption
Dive planning
Safety calculations
Pressure Measurement Methods
🩸 Manometers
Mercury manometers (mmHg)
Water manometers (cmH₂O)
U-tube design
Direct measurement
Simple and accurate
📊 Electronic Sensors
Piezoresistive sensors
Capacitive sensors
Strain gauge technology
Digital readouts
Process control applications
🌡️ Barometers
Mercury barometers (inHg)
Aneroid barometers
Digital barometers
Weather stations
Altimeter calibration
Pressure in Physics and Chemistry
⚛️ Gas Laws
Boyle's Law: P₁V₁ = P₂V₂
Charles's Law: V₁/T₁ = V₂/T₂
Ideal Gas Law: PV = nRT
Pressure-volume relationships
Thermodynamic calculations
🧪 Chemical Reactions
Reaction rates and pressure
Equilibrium constants
Solubility of gases
Phase diagrams
Catalysis and pressure
🔬 Laboratory Work
Vacuum systems (torr)
Pressure reactors (bar)
Gas chromatography
Spectroscopy techniques
Material testing
🌀 Pressure Tip: Remember that pressure is force per unit area. A standard atmosphere (1 atm) equals 101,325 pascals, which is the average air pressure at sea level. Blood pressure is measured in mmHg, where 120 mmHg = 120/760 ≈ 0.158 atm.