pascal (Pa)
1 pascal = 0.001 kilopascals
What is pascal?
The pascal is the SI base unit of pressure, equal to one newton per square metre. It is used in meteorology, fluid dynamics, materials science, and all scientific pressure measurements.
Notes: Base unit for pressure
Real-world uses
The pascal is the SI unit of pressure used in engineering stress analysis, materials science, and acoustics (sound pressure levels). Concrete and steel specifications list compressive strength in megapascals (MPa). Atmospheric pressure is about 101,325 Pa.
History
Named after Blaise Pascal, the French mathematician and physicist who conducted pioneering experiments on fluid pressure and vacuum in the 1640s. The pascal was adopted as the SI unit of pressure in 1971 at the 14th General Conference on Weights and Measures.
Common mistakes
Using pascals directly for everyday pressure is impractical since one pascal is a very small pressure (about the weight of a dollar bill spread over a desk). Most practical applications use kPa, hPa, or MPa instead.
When is this conversion used?
Tyre pressure gauges, HVAC systems, and industrial equipment may use different pressure units depending on the manufacturer and region. Converting between psi, bar, and kPa is common in automotive and engineering work.
How to convert pascal to kilopascal
To convert pascal to kilopascal, multiply the value by 0.001.
Conversion formula (from base unit)
x * 1.0
Measurement standards
The pascal (Pa) is the SI derived unit of pressure, defined as one newton per square metre. The World Meteorological Organization mandates the hectopascal (hPa) for atmospheric pressure reporting in aviation and weather services.
Did you know?
The pressure at the bottom of the Mariana Trench, nearly 11 km deep, exceeds 1,086 bar — over a thousand times atmospheric pressure. At this depth, water is compressed by about 5%, making it measurably denser than at the surface.
| pascals | kilopascals |
|---|---|
| 0.1 | 0.0001 |
| 0.5 | 0.0005 |
| 1 | 0.001 |
| 2 | 0.002 |
| 5 | 0.005 |
| 10 | 0.01 |
| 25 | 0.025 |
| 50 | 0.05 |
| 100 | 0.1 |
| 250 | 0.25 |
| 500 | 0.5 |
| 1,000 | 1 |
Common values
| pascals | kilopascals | |
|---|---|---|
| Car tyre | 220,000 pascals | 220 kilopascals |
| Standard atmosphere | 101,325 pascals | 101.325 kilopascals |
| Blood pressure (systolic) | 16,000 pascals | 16 kilopascals |
| Deep-sea submersible | 110,000,000 pascals | 110,000 kilopascals |
| Bicycle tyre | 620,000 pascals | 620 kilopascals |
Full pascal conversion table
| Unit | Value | Factor |
|---|---|---|
| kilopascal | 1 Pa = 0.001 kPa | × 0.001 |
| bar | 1 Pa = 0.00001 bar | × 0.00001 |
| pound per square inch | 1 Pa = 0.00014504 psi | × 0.00014504 |
| atmosphere | 1 Pa = 0.00000987 atm | × 0.00000987 |
| millibar | 1 Pa = 0.01 mbar | × 0.01 |
| hectopascal | 1 Pa = 0.01 hPa | × 0.01 |
| torr | 1 Pa = 0.00750062 Torr | × 0.00750062 |
| inch of mercury | 1 Pa = 0.0002953 inHg | × 0.0002953 |
| megapascal | 1 Pa = 0.000001 MPa | × 0.000001 |