joule per square meter
Surface tensionEnergy per areaexact by definition
The joule per square metre is exactly one newton per metre. Surface tension and surface energy are the same quantity in two dresses: force per unit length of contact line, or energy per unit area of new surface created. The energy form is how solid surface science, adhesion and fracture mechanics write it.
Watch out: The two are numerically identical for liquids and not quite interchangeable for solids, where creating new surface can involve elastic strain as well. The distinction between surface stress and surface energy in solids is real and matters at the nanoscale.
| 1 (Surface tension) | 1,000 |
| 1 (Energy per area) | 1 |
One joule of energy delivered to one square metre. The same dimension covers laser fluence, the energy density of an ocean wave field, and the incident energy of an arc flash — three trades measuring how much energy arrives at a surface.
One joule per square meter in every surface tension unit
| 1,000,000 | micronewton per meter (μN/m) | |
| 1,000 | millinewton per meter (mN/m) | |
| 1,000 | dyne per centimeter (dyn/cm) | |
| 1,000 | millijoule per square meter (mJ/m²) | |
| 1,000 | erg per square centimeter (erg/cm²) | |
| 1.01972 | gram-force per centimeter (gf/cm) | |
| 1 | newton per meter (N/m) | |
| 1 | joule per square meter (J/m²)this unit | |
| 0.0685218 | pound-force per foot (lbf/ft) | |
| 0.00571015 | pound-force per inch (lbf/in) |
One joule per square meter in every energy per area unit
| 1 | joule per square meter (J/m²)this unit | |
| 0.001 | kilojoule per square meter (kJ/m²) | |
| 0.0001 | joule per square centimeter (J/cm²) | |
| 0.1 | millijoule per square centimeter (mJ/cm²) | |
| 0.0000239006 | calorie per square centimeter (cal/cm²) | |
| 0.000001 | megajoule per square meter (MJ/m²) |