Pressure Converter: A Practical Guide
Use Pressure Converter to convert pascals, kilopascals, bar, psi and standard atmospheres. The conversion changes units, not whether a pressure reading is absolute, gauge or differential. Keep that reference basis attached to the value.
How to Use Pressure Converter
- Enter Value in the source unit.
- Choose From and To carefully.
- Select Convert.
- Read the result with its unit and round only as appropriate for the task.
Pressure Units and Reference Basis
One bar is 100000 pascals and one standard atmosphere is 101325 pascals. The psi factor is approximate at the displayed precision.
Gauge pressure is measured relative to local atmospheric pressure, while absolute pressure is relative to vacuum. Converting psi to bar does not add or subtract atmospheric pressure. A standard atmosphere is a defined unit, not a live weather measurement.
Worked Example
1 bar equals 100 kPa. A reading of 2 bar gauge remains a gauge reading when converted to approximately 29.0075 psi.
To compare gauge and absolute values, an appropriate atmospheric reference is needed in addition to unit conversion.
Convert accompanying temperature readings: use the Temperature Converter.
Convert volume units separately: use the Volume Converter.
Checks and Common Mistakes
- Keep gauge or absolute labels.
- Do not use the result as a device calibration.
- Check the source instrument units.
- Use appropriate verified calculations for safety-critical equipment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does it convert gauge to absolute pressure?
No. It only changes the unit scale.
Is one atmosphere today’s air pressure?
No. It is a defined standard unit.
Can I use a pressure reading without its reference basis?
That can be ambiguous; retain whether it is gauge, absolute or differential.
Related Tools for the Next Step
- Temperature Converter: Convert accompanying temperature readings.
- Volume Converter: Convert volume units separately.
- Average Calculator: Average comparable pressure observations.
- Percentage Change Calculator: Compare changes on a consistent basis.
Reference
Further reading: NIST SI units resources.