CalculateY
Quick Answer
A 100 N force applied over an area of 0.5 m^2 produces a pressure of 200 Pa. Standard atmospheric pressure is 101,325 Pa (1 atm, 14.696 psi, 760 mmHg).
Pressure Formula (P = F / A)
Unit Converter
Common Examples
| Input | Result |
|---|---|
| F = 100 N, A = 0.5 m^2 | P = 200 Pa |
| P = 200 Pa, A = 0.5 m^2 | F = 100 N |
| P = 200 Pa, F = 100 N | A = 0.50 m^2 |
| 1 atm | 101,325 Pa = 14.696 psi |
| 30 psi | 206,843 Pa = 2.07 bar |
How It Works
The formula
Pressure is force per unit area:
\[P = \frac{F}{A}\]Where P is pressure in Pascals (Pa), F is force in Newtons (N), and A is area in square meters (m squared). One Pascal equals one Newton per square meter.
Rearranging:
\[F = P \times A \qquad A = \frac{F}{P}\]Worked example
A 500 N force acts on a piston with an area of 0.02 m squared:
\[P = \frac{500}{0.02} = \textbf{25{,}000 Pa} = \textbf{25 kPa}\]That is about 0.25 atm or 3.6 psi.
Pressure unit conversions
| Unit | Equivalent in Pascals |
|---|---|
| 1 Pa | 1 Pa |
| 1 kPa | 1,000 Pa |
| 1 MPa | 1,000,000 Pa |
| 1 atm | 101,325 Pa |
| 1 bar | 100,000 Pa |
| 1 psi | 6,894.76 Pa |
| 1 mmHg | 133.322 Pa |
| 1 torr | 133.322 Pa |
Standard atmospheric pressure at sea level is 101,325 Pa, which equals 1 atm, 1.01325 bar, 14.696 psi, or 760 mmHg. Weather reports often use hectopascals (hPa) or millibars (mbar), which are numerically equal: 1013.25 hPa = 1013.25 mbar.
Common pressure ranges
Car tires are typically inflated to 30-35 psi (207-241 kPa). Bicycle tires range from 40-130 psi depending on the tire type. Blood pressure is measured in mmHg, with a normal reading around 120/80 mmHg. Scuba tanks hold air at 200-300 bar (2,900-4,350 psi).