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Pressure Converter

Convert pressure units for tires, diving, weather, HVAC, and industrial systems: Pa, kPa, bar, psi, atm, mmHg, inHg, and torr.

Tire PSI, Diving Bar, and Clinical mmHg

BrainyCalculators editorial insight — unique to this tool

US drivers inflate car tires to 32–35 psi (≈ 220–240 kPa) while EU pump gauges show bar (1 bar ≈ 14.5 psi). Scuba tables and cylinder ratings use bar; hyperbaric medicine references atmospheres (1 atm = 101.325 kPa). Blood pressure is measured in mmHg (120/80 mmHg ≈ 16/10.7 kPa) — a unit legacy from mercury manometers that persists in cardiology worldwide.

When to use this calculator

Convert pressure units for tires, HVAC refrigerant specs, hydraulics, weather (hPa), or medical context — not for force or weight.

Reference Value Context
Standard atmosphere 101.325 kPa 1 atm / 1.013 bar
Typical car tire 32 psi ≈ 2.2 bar
Normal BP (systolic) 120 mmHg ≈ 16 kPa
Scuba tank fill 200 bar ≈ 2,900 psi

Not what you need? For beam loads or structural stress in MPa from engineering formulas, start with Force or Beam Deflection calculators.

Converting litres, gallons, or cubic metres?

This page converts pressure units (psi, bar, kPa, mmHg). For fluid capacity — fuel tanks, recipe cups, concrete yd³ — use the Volume Converter →

What is Pressure Conversion?

Pressure conversion translates force per unit area between units such as pascals, kilopascals, bar, psi, atmospheres, mmHg, inHg, and torr. It is used for tire pressure, dive tanks, blood pressure, weather reports, HVAC ducts, and process equipment.

Use this page when the input is a pressure reading you already have. It converts units; it does not calculate flow, volume, temperature effects, or gas-law behavior from first principles.

For liters, gallons, or cubic meters, use the Volume Converter. For mass such as kg or lb, use the Weight Converter.

Tyre, Dive, and HVAC Pressure Math

32 psi tyre → 32 × 6,894.76 Pa ≈ 221 kPa (2.21 bar)
120 mmHg systolic → 120 × 133.322 ≈ 16.0 kPa
3,000 psi scuba fill → 3,000 × 0.0689476 ≈ 207 bar

Conversions pass through pascals. Tyre gauges read gauge pressure (relative to atmosphere); thermodynamic gas laws often need absolute pressure — add ~101 kPa at sea level when required.

Pressure Anchors for Tyres, Weather, and Clinics

32 psi (cold tyre)
=
2.21 bar
1 atm (sea level)
=
101.3 kPa
1 bar
=
14.50 psi
120 mmHg systolic
=
16.0 kPa
29.92 inHg altimeter
=
101.3 kPa
3,000 psi scuba
=
207 bar

How the Pressure Converter Works

Formula, assumptions, and calculation steps for this conversion tool.

Methodology

Conversion calculators multiply by fixed conversion factors after identifying the source and destination units.

Calculation Steps

  1. Choose the input unit and output unit.
  2. Enter the amount to convert.
  3. Apply the standard conversion factor.
  4. Return the converted value with unit labels.

Assumptions and Limits

  • Conversions use standard factors unless a regional variant is selected.
  • Rounding is applied for readability.
  • Temperature and pressure conversions may require formulas rather than simple multiplication.

Frequently Asked Questions

32 psi ≈ 2.21 bar or 221 kPa. European pumps and placards often show bar while US door stickers list psi.

Clinical tradition standardised on millimetres of mercury. 120 mmHg systolic equals about 16.0 kPa even though SI uses pascals elsewhere.

Yes numerically: 1 hPa = 1 mbar. Weather maps near 1,013 hPa are reporting standard sea-level pressure.

Gauge readings ignore atmospheric pressure; absolute readings include it. Tyre gauges read gauge pressure, so 32 psig is about 46.7 psia at sea level.

A 3,000 psi fill is about 207 bar. Always check whether the cylinder rating and fill station use the same unit before connecting gear.

Real-World Applications

🚙
Tyre Placard Translation
A 32 psi tyre placard is about 2.21 bar or 221 kPa. Drivers using pumps with another unit can hit the correct cold-pressure target.
🩺
Medical mmHg Readings
Blood pressure remains in mmHg even when medical equipment is otherwise metric. Converting 120 mmHg to 16.0 kPa helps students connect physiology with SI units.
🤿
Dive Cylinder Ratings
A 3,000 psi scuba cylinder is about 207 bar. Divers comparing US and European equipment convert ratings before planning fills and reserves.
🏭
Hydraulic Component Matching
Pumps, hoses, and valves may be rated in bar, MPa, or psi. Conversion verifies whether mixed-brand parts share the same working pressure envelope.
🌦️
Altimeter and Weather Reports
Aviation altimeters use inHg in the US and hPa in many other regions. Weather pressure conversion links those readings to barometric forecasts.
🧯
Gas Cylinders and Regulators
Regulators, compressed-gas bottles, and fire-suppression systems list pressure in different units. Conversion is a pre-check before compatibility review.

Pressure Conversion Mistakes to Avoid

1
Ignoring gauge versus absolute reference
Mixing psig with psia in engineering calcs introduces a full atmosphere of error (~14.7 psi at sea level). Confirm the reference on every datasheet.
2
Dropping the kilo in kPa
101,325 Pa is 101.3 kPa, not 101,325 kPa. The prefix error creates a thousandfold mistake in HVAC and lab specs.
3
Treating bar and mbar as the same magnitude
Industrial systems at 10 bar are not the same as 10 mbar vacuum processes. The milli- prefix changes the scale by 1,000.
4
Using rough “15 psi per bar” in safety margins
1 bar equals 14.504 psi exactly. Rounding is fine for tyre inflation chat but not when comparing relief-valve setpoints.
5
Converting pressure when the problem is force
Tyre pressure is force per area. Vehicle mass limits are in kilograms. Confusing the two sends structural and automotive students to the wrong calculator.

Pressure Unit Conversion Quick Reference

Unit Symbol Equivalent in Pa
Pascal Pa 1 Pa
Kilopascal kPa 1,000 Pa
Bar bar 100,000 Pa
Atmosphere atm 101,325 Pa
PSI psi 6,894.76 Pa
mmHg / Torr mmHg 133.322 Pa
inHg inHg 3,386.39 Pa

References

  1. BIPM. The International System of Units (SI), 9th Edition. Bureau International des Poids et Mesures, 2019.
  2. ISO 80000-4. Quantities and Units — Part 4: Mechanics. ISO, 2019.
  3. NIST. Guide to the SI — Special Publication 811. National Institute of Standards and Technology, 2008.
  4. Engineering Toolbox. Pressure Units — Conversion Factors. engineeringtoolbox.com, 2024.
  5. ASHRAE. HVAC Applications Handbook. American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers, 2023.