Standard atmosphere

patm=101,325 Pap_{\mathrm{atm}} = 101,325\ \text{Pa}
Value101,325 Pa
StatusExact by definition — no uncertainty
Source10th CGPM (1954); SI Brochure, 9th edition
CategoriesThermodynamicEngineering & Trade
atm in every pressure unit
pascal101,325 Pa
kilopascal101.325 kPa
megapascal0.101325 MPa
bar1.01325 bar
atmosphere1 atm
millimeter of mercury759.99989 mmHg
pound per square inch14.695949 psi
foot of water column33.898539 ft H₂O
gigapascal0.000101325 GPa
kip per square inch0.014695949 ksi
inch of mercury29.921256 inHg
inch of water column406.78246 in w.g.

Learning zone

The standard atmosphere is a defined unit, not a measurement: exactly 101 325 pascals. It began as the pressure of a 760 mm column of mercury at 0 °C under standard gravity, which is why the torr and the millimetre of mercury are still within a whisker of each other. The 10th CGPM fixed the modern value in 1954, deliberately choosing a round number of pascals rather than a round number of millimetres.

Being defined, it is exact and carries no uncertainty — unlike the actual atmospheric pressure at your location, which is a weather variable and averages nearer 101.0 kPa at sea level over a year. Use it as the reference for absolute pressure, for the standard boiling point of water, and for converting gauge readings: absolute = gauge + 101.325 kPa.