Pressure
Convert standard atmosphere (atm) to kilopascal (kPa). Pressure is force per unit area. Process engineers move constantly between SI (kPa, bar) and US (psi) units, and between absolute and gauge.
1 atm = 101.325 kPa
To convert standard atmosphere to kilopascal, multiply the atm value by 101.325. To go the other way, divide by 101.325 (or multiply by 0.009869233).
| atm | kPa |
|---|---|
| 1 | 101.325 |
| 2 | 202.65 |
| 5 | 506.625 |
| 10 | 1013.25 |
| 25 | 2533.125 |
| 50 | 5066.25 |
| 100 | 10132.5 |
| 250 | 25331.25 |
| 500 | 50662.5 |
| 1000 | 101325 |
Line and vessel ratings, pump discharge heads, and relief set points are all specified in pressure units — usually psi or barg in the field and kPa in calculations.
Always track whether a value is absolute or gauge: 0 barg equals about 101.3 kPa absolute, and mixing the two is a common and costly error.
Worked example. A pressure of 9.869233 atm is 1000 kPa.
Multiply the value in atm by 101.325 to get kPa. For example, 10 atm = 1013.25 kPa.
1 atm equals 101.325 kPa.
Line and vessel ratings, pump discharge heads, and relief set points are all specified in pressure units — usually psi or barg in the field and kPa in calculations.