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
Standard atmosphere in every pressure unit
microbar1,013,250 μbar
barye1,013,250 Ba
millitorr760,000 mTorr
pascal101,325 Pa
millimeter of water column10,332.275 mmH₂O
pound per square foot2,116.2166 lb/ft²
centimeter of water column1,033.2275 cmH₂O
hectopascal1,013.25 hPa
millibar1,013.25 mbar
torr760 Torr
millimeter of mercury759.99989 mmHg
inch of water column406.78246 in w.g.
kilopascal101.325 kPa
foot of water column33.898539 ft H₂O
inch of mercury29.921256 inHg
pound per square inch14.695949 psi
meter of water column10.332275 m H₂O
decibar10.1325 dbar
kilogram-force per square centimeter1.0332275 kgf/cm²
bar1.01325 bar
atmosphere1 atm
megapascal0.101325 MPa
kip per square inch0.014695949 ksi
gigapascal0.000101325 GPa
million pounds per square inch0.000014695949 Mpsi

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.