Bar to kPa Converter
Convert from Bar to Kilopascal (kPa)
Understanding Bar and kPa
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
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
Conversion Formula
Bar to kPa:
kPa = Bar × 100
Since 1 bar equals 100 kPa, we multiply the bar value by 100 to get the equivalent in kPa.
kPa to Bar:
Bar = kPa × 0.01
To convert from kPa to bar, divide the kPa value by 100 (or multiply by 0.01).
Bar to kPa Conversion Table
| Bar | Kilopascal (kPa) |
|---|---|
| 0.5 | 50.0 |
| 1 | 100.0 |
| 1.5 | 150.0 |
| 2 | 200.0 |
| 2.5 | 250.0 |
| 3 | 300.0 |
| 3.5 | 350.0 |
| 4 | 400.0 |
| 4.5 | 450.0 |
| 5 | 500.0 |
Historical Context and Applications
Historical Development
The bar unit was introduced in 1909 by Norwegian meteorologist Vilhelm Bjerknes. It was originally defined as 1,000,000 dynes per square centimeter in the CGS system. The pascal, and by extension the kilopascal, was later introduced with the adoption of the SI system and named after Blaise Pascal, whose 17th-century experiments significantly advanced our understanding of pressure.
Common Applications
- Bar: Widely used in meteorology, automotive applications, and industrial processes. Atmospheric pressure at sea level is approximately 1.013 bar.
- kPa: Commonly used in engineering, HVAC systems, and scientific contexts. Also used for tire pressure in most countries.
Practical Examples
- Standard atmospheric pressure: 1.01325 bar (101.325 kPa)
- Recommended car tire pressure: 2.0-2.5 bar (200-250 kPa)
- Bicycle tire pressure: 4-8 bar (400-800 kPa)
- Espresso machine pressure: 9 bar (900 kPa)
- Natural gas pipeline pressure: 2-7 bar (200-700 kPa)
- Enter your value in the bar field
- The converter instantly displays the equivalent in kilopascals
- Use the swap button to convert from kPa to bar instead
- Results are displayed with 6 decimal places for precision
For quick reference without calculations, refer to the conversion table above for common values.