Pressure Calculator

Pressure is force applied perpendicular to a surface divided by the area (P = F/A). It measures how concentrated a force is. The same force applied to a smaller area creates higher pressure, like a nail vs. a board.

Pa (Pascal) = 1 N/m²; kPa = 1000 Pa; bar = 100,000 Pa; atm (atmosphere) = 101,325 Pa; psi (pounds per square inch) = 6,895 Pa. Atmospheric pressure at sea level is 1 atm or 101.325 kPa.

Sharp objects concentrate force on a tiny area, creating extremely high pressure. A knife edge might have 1000× higher pressure than your finger applying the same force, allowing it to cut through materials.

The weight of Earth's atmosphere pushing down creates pressure at sea level of about 101,325 Pa (1 atm). This equals roughly 10 tons per square meter, but we don't feel it because air pressure inside our bodies balances it.

Water pressure increases by about 1 atm (101,325 Pa) for every 10 meters of depth. At 10m deep, pressure is 2 atm (1 atm air + 1 atm water). This is why submarines need strong hulls and divers must decompress.

Absolute pressure includes atmospheric pressure. Gauge pressure measures above atmospheric pressure (what tire gauges show). A tire at 30 psi gauge is actually 44.7 psi absolute (30 + 14.7 atmospheric).