The Hectopascal (hPa) in Pressure

What is Hectopascal (hPa)

The hectopascal (hPa) is a unit of pressure that is widely used in meteorology and other fields to measure atmospheric pressure. It is part of the metric system and defines one hectopascal as 100 pascals (Pa), where the pascal is the SI (International System of Units) unit for pressure. The term "hecto" signifies a factor of 100, making the hectopascal a convenient scale for dealing with atmospheric pressure values, which are typically around 1,000 hPa at sea level.

In mathematical terms, this relationship can be expressed as:

Hectopascals may also be encountered in other scientific contexts, including engineering and fluid mechanics, where precise measurements of pressure are essential. Understanding the hectopascal is important for interpreting weather data, as weather reports often state atmospheric pressure in hPa.

Common conversion values

The hectopascal can be converted into various other pressure units. Here are some of the most common conversions:

• 1 (hPa) = 0.0009869233 (atm)
• 1 (hPa) = 0.001019716 (at)
• 1 (hPa) = 0.001 (bar)
• 1 (hPa) = 1 (mbar)
• 1 (hPa) = 1000 (Ba)
• 1 (hPa) = 0.0001 (MPa)
• 1 (hPa) = 0.1 (kPa)
• 1 (hPa) = 100 (Pa)
• 1 (hPa) = 0.7500617 (Torr)

For practical applications, especially in meteorology and engineering, it's important to have the correct conversion on hand:

• 1 (hPa) = 10.19716 (kgf/m²)
• 1 (hPa) = 0.001019716 (kgf/cm²)
• 1 (hPa) = 0.00001019716 (kgf/mm²)
• 1 (hPa) = 0.0001 (MN/m²)
• 1 (hPa) = 0.1 (kN/m²)
• 1 (hPa) = 0.01 (N/cm²)
• 1 (hPa) = 0.0001 (N/mm²)

In addition to these, you may find pressure expressed in imperial units:

• 1 (hPa) = 0.00001450377 (ksi)
• 1 (hPa) = 2.088543 (psf)
• 1 (hPa) = 0.01450377 (psi)
• 1 (hPa) = 0.07500615 (cmHg)
• 1 (hPa) = 0.7500615 (mmHg)
• 1 (hPa) = 750.0615 (µmHg)
• 1 (hPa) = 0.002460832 (ftHg)
• 1 (hPa) = 0.02952998 (inHg)

Lastly, when dealing with water column measurements, conversions also include:

• 1 (hPa) = 0.01019716 (mH₂0)
• 1 (hPa) = 1.019716 (cmH₂0)
• 1 (hPa) = 10.19716 (mmH₂0)
• 1 (hPa) = 0.03345526 (ftH₂0)
• 1 (hPa) = 0.4014631 (inH₂0)