About

In materials science and structural engineering, the Megapascal (MPa) is the dominant unit for measuring yield strength, concrete compressive strength, and high-pressure hydraulics. Engineers often need to cross-reference these values with Imperial units like KSI (Kips per square inch) or operational equivalents like N/mm².

Precision is paramount in these high-magnitude ranges, as a rounding error can represent a significant force deviation. This tool highlights the direct 1:1 relationship between MPa and N/mm², a common point of confusion for students and junior engineers.

Formulas

High-pressure engineering relies on these linear conversions.

P_KSI = P_MPa × 0.145038

P_N/mm² = P_MPa

The term Kip stands for Kilo-pound (1000 lbf). KSI is therefore 1000 PSI.

Reference Data

Material	Strength (MPa)	Strength (KSI)	Application
Rubber	1 - 10	0.15 - 1.45	Seals & Gaskets
Concrete (Standard)	20 - 40	2.9 - 5.8	Foundations
Aluminum 6061-T6	276	40	Aircraft Structures
Structural Steel	250 - 400	36 - 58	Buildings & Bridges
Titanium Alloy	900+	130+	Aerospace

Frequently Asked Questions

1 Pascal is 1 Newton per square meter (N/m²). Since there are 1,000,000 square millimeters in a square meter, and Mega means 1,000,000, the scaling factors cancel out exactly. 1 MPa = 1 N/mm².

KSI (Kips per Square Inch) is standard in the US for expressing the ultimate tensile strength of metals. It avoids the use of excessively large numbers that would result from using PSI.

Yes. 1 MPa is approximately 10 atmospheres (145 PSI). Standard concrete fails around 20-40 MPa. Hydraulic systems often operate between 20 and 70 MPa.

The factor 0.1450377 is used. For most engineering purposes, 0.145 is a sufficient approximation, but this tool uses the precise factor.