kPa to Bar Converter
Convert from Kilopascal (kPa) to Bar
Understanding kPa and Bar
The kilopascal (kPa) is a unit of pressure in the International System of Units (SI).
- 1 kPa = 1,000 pascals (Pa)
- The pascal is the SI base unit of pressure
- Named after Blaise Pascal, a French mathematician and physicist
The bar is a metric unit of pressure that is not part of the SI but is accepted for use with it.
- 1 bar = 100,000 pascals (Pa) = 100 kPa
- Approximately equal to atmospheric pressure at sea level
- Commonly used in meteorology and many engineering applications
Conversion Formula
kPa to Bar:
Bar = kPa × 0.01
Since 1 bar equals 100 kPa, we divide the kPa value by 100 (or multiply by 0.01) to get the equivalent in bar.
Bar to kPa:
kPa = Bar × 100
To convert from bar to kPa, multiply the bar value by 100.
kPa to Bar Conversion Table
| Kilopascal (kPa) | Bar |
|---|---|
| 100 | 1.00 |
| 200 | 2.00 |
| 300 | 3.00 |
| 400 | 4.00 |
| 500 | 5.00 |
| 600 | 6.00 |
| 700 | 7.00 |
| 800 | 8.00 |
| 900 | 9.00 |
| 1,000 | 10.00 |
Historical Context and Applications
Historical Development
The pascal was named after Blaise Pascal, whose experiments in the 17th century greatly advanced our understanding of pressure and vacuum. The bar unit was introduced in 1909 by the Norwegian meteorologist Vilhelm Bjerknes, and was originally defined as 1,000,000 dynes per square centimeter in the CGS system.
Common Applications
- kPa: Commonly used in engineering, HVAC systems, and scientific contexts. Also used for tire pressure in most countries.
- Bar: Widely used in meteorology, automotive applications, and industrial processes. Atmospheric pressure at sea level is approximately 1.013 bar.
Practical Examples
- Standard atmospheric pressure: 101.325 kPa (1.01325 bar)
- Recommended car tire pressure: 200-250 kPa (2.0-2.5 bar)
- Bicycle tire pressure: 400-800 kPa (4-8 bar)
- Espresso machine pressure: 900 kPa (9 bar)
- Natural gas pipeline pressure: 200-700 kPa (2-7 bar)
- Enter your value in the kilopascal (kPa) field
- The converter instantly displays the equivalent in bar
- Use the swap button to convert from bar to kPa instead
- Results are displayed with 6 decimal places for precision
For quick reference without calculations, refer to the conversion table above for common values.