About

Standardization is critical in scientific data exchange. While meteorology often clings to the millibar (or its equivalent, the hectopascal), the vast majority of engineering and physics disciplines use the Kilopascal (kPa) as the standard SI unit for pressure. This converter is optimized for speed and resilience, handling various input formats including European decimal commas. It serves students, engineers, and weather enthusiasts who need to normalize data sets. The interface includes a dynamic visual indicator to help conceptualize the magnitude of the pressure relative to standard atmospheric conditions.

Formulas

The Kilopascal is a derived SI unit equal to 1,000 Pascals. The millibar is a non-SI unit equal to 100 Pascals (or 1 hectopascal).

P_kPa = P_mbar ÷ 10

This simple decimal shift means that 10 mbar is exactly 1 kPa.

Reference Data

Condition	mbar	kPa
Absolute Vacuum	0	0
Mars Surface Average	6	0.6
Mt. Everest Summit	337	33.7
Standard Atmosphere	1013.25	101.325
Human Systolic BP (Avg)	160	16.0
Car Tire (32 PSI)	2206	220.6
Truck Tire (100 PSI)	6894	689.4
Propane Tank (20 C)	8500	850
SCUBA Tank (3000 PSI)	206842	20684.2

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. 1 millibar (mbar) is exactly equal to 1 hectopascal (hPa). Therefore, converting mbar to kPa is the same as converting hPa to kPa.

European notation uses commas for decimals (e.g., 1.013,25). This tool automatically detects commas in the input and treats them as decimal points to prevent calculation errors.

kPa is the preferred unit in the International System of Units (SI) for engineering, fluid mechanics, and material science. It simplifies calculations involving stress and force (Newtons).

The tool uses floating-point arithmetic, allowing it to handle extremely large values found in geology or astrophysics without overflow errors.