Bars to Atmospheres Converter

How to Convert Bars to Atmospheres

To convert a pressure measurement from bars to atmospheres, divide the pressure value by the conversion factor. Since one bar is equal to 0.986923 atmospheres, you can use this formula:

The pressure in atmospheres is equal to the bars divided by 1.01325.

How Many Atmospheres Are in a Bar?

There are 0.986923 atmospheres in one bar.

What Is a Bar?

The bar is a metric unit of pressure defined as exactly 100,000 pascals (100 kPa). It is slightly less than the standard atmosphere (1 bar = 0.986923 atm). The bar is widely used in industry, engineering, and meteorology across Europe and many other countries. It provides a convenient unit because 1 bar is close to 1 atm, making it intuitive for many practical applications. In industry, hydraulic and pneumatic system pressures are commonly specified in bars. Industrial compressed air systems typically operate at 6–10 bar, hydraulic systems at 100–400 bar, and water-jet cutting systems at 1,000–6,000 bar. In scuba diving, tank pressures are typically rated in bars. A standard aluminium dive tank holds air at about 200 bar, while steel tanks may be rated for 230–300 bar. In automotive engineering in Europe and many other countries, tyre pressures are specified in bars. A typical passenger car tyre is inflated to 2.0–2.5 bar. Engine fuel injection pressures in modern diesel engines can reach 2,000–2,500 bar.

One bar is equal to:

• 100,000 pascals (Pa)
• 1,000 hectopascals (hPa)
• 1,000 millibars (mbar)
• 0.986923 atmospheres (atm)
• 1.01972 kilogram-force per square centimetre (kgf/cm²)
• 14.5038 pounds per square inch (psi)
• 750.062 torr (Torr)

What Is a Atmosphere?

The standard atmosphere (symbol: atm) is a unit of pressure defined as exactly 101,325 pascals (101.325 kPa). It approximates the average atmospheric pressure at sea level at 15 °C. The atmosphere is widely used as a reference pressure in chemistry, physics, and engineering. Standard temperature and pressure (STP) conditions are defined as 0 °C and 1 atm. Many gas laws, chemical equilibria, and thermodynamic tables use the atmosphere as the standard pressure reference. In diving, the atmosphere provides an intuitive measure of underwater pressure. Water pressure increases by approximately 1 atm for every 10 metres (33 feet) of depth. At 30 metres depth, a diver experiences about 4 atm of absolute pressure (1 atm atmospheric + 3 atm water). Tyre pressure gauges often display readings in atmospheres in some countries. A typical car tyre is inflated to about 2–2.5 atm (gauge pressure), which is 3–3.5 atm absolute. The atmosphere was originally defined by the weight of a column of mercury 760 mm high at 0 °C under standard gravity, which led to the exact definition 1 atm = 101,325 Pa.

One atmosphere is equal to:

• 101,325 pascals (Pa)
• 1,013.25 hectopascals (hPa)
• 1.01325 bars (bar)
• 1,013.25 millibars (mbar)
• 1.03323 kilogram-force per square centimetre (kgf/cm²)
• 14.6959 pounds per square inch (psi)
• 760 torr (Torr)

Understanding Pressure Units

Pressure is the force applied perpendicular to a surface per unit area (P = F/A). It is a fundamental concept in physics, engineering, meteorology, medicine, and many other fields. Pressure is a scalar quantity, meaning it acts equally in all directions within a fluid at a given point.

The wide variety of pressure units reflects the diverse fields in which pressure is measured. The pascal (SI) is the international standard, but industry-specific units like psi, bar, atm, and torr remain firmly established in their respective domains.

Major Pressure Unit Families

• SI units: The pascal (Pa) is the SI unit of pressure. With prefixes: hectopascal (hPa = 100 Pa), kilopascal (kPa = 1,000 Pa), megapascal (MPa = 10⁶ Pa), gigapascal (GPa = 10⁹ Pa).
• Bar units: The bar (100,000 Pa) and millibar (100 Pa) are metric units widely used in industry and meteorology. The millibar equals the hectopascal exactly.
• Atmospheric units: The standard atmosphere (101,325 Pa) is a reference pressure used in chemistry and physics. The torr (1/760 atm) is used in vacuum science.
• Gravitational metric units: The kgf/cm² (technical atmosphere) and kgf/m² use gravitational force units on metric areas.
• Imperial / US customary units: Pounds per square inch (psi) and pounds per square foot (psf) are standard in US engineering and construction.

Pressure in Everyday Life

• Atmosphere: Standard atmospheric pressure at sea level is about 101.3 kPa (14.7 psi, 1013 hPa, 760 Torr). This is the weight of the air column above us.
• Tyres: Car tyre pressure is typically 30–35 psi (2.0–2.4 bar). Under-inflated tyres waste fuel and wear unevenly.
• Blood pressure: Measured in mmHg (≈ Torr). Normal is about 120/80 mmHg. High blood pressure (hypertension) is above 140/90 mmHg.
• Weather: Barometric pressure ranges from about 870–1085 hPa. Falling pressure indicates approaching storms; rising pressure indicates clearing skies.
• Water pressure: Pressure increases by about 1 atm per 10 m (33 ft) of water depth. At the bottom of the Mariana Trench (~11 km), pressure exceeds 1,000 atm.

Converting Between Pressure Units

All pressure units measure the same physical quantity, so converting between them requires multiplying by the appropriate conversion factor. The factor is the ratio of how many pascals one unit of the source contains divided by how many pascals one unit of the target contains.

Key conversion constants: 1 atm = 101,325 Pa = 1.01325 bar = 14.696 psi = 760 Torr. Also, 1 bar = 100,000 Pa and 1 psi ≈ 6,894.76 Pa.

Tips for Pressure Conversions

• The hectopascal and millibar are exactly equal (1 hPa = 1 mbar = 100 Pa). They can be used interchangeably.
• The bar is very close to the atmosphere: 1 atm = 1.01325 bar. For rough estimates, 1 bar ≈ 1 atm.
• Quick psi ↔ bar conversion: 1 bar ≈ 14.5 psi. So divide psi by 14.5 to get bars, or multiply bars by 14.5 to get psi.
• For atm ↔ psi: 1 atm ≈ 14.7 psi. A common tyre pressure of 32 psi is about 2.2 atm (gauge) or 3.2 atm (absolute).
• The torr is nearly equal to 1 mmHg. For blood pressure and vacuum measurements, they’re practically interchangeable.
• Exactly 760 torr = 1 atm. This comes from the original barometer definition.
• For kgf/cm² ↔ bar: they’re very close. 1 kgf/cm² = 0.981 bar. For rough work, 1 kgf/cm² ≈ 1 bar.
• Remember that 1 psi = 144 psf (since 1 ft² = 144 in²). This is an exact relationship.
• Be aware of gauge vs. absolute pressure. Gauge pressure is measured relative to atmospheric pressure (0 psig = 1 atm absolute = 14.7 psia).

Bars to Atmospheres Conversion Table

The following table shows conversions from bars to atmospheres.

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