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To convert pressure from megapascals (MPa) to bar, multiply by 10. That is the entire formula — the two units differ by exactly one order of magnitude.
Both units are decimal multiples of the pascal: 1 MPa is 1,000,000 Pa, and 1 bar is defined as exactly 100,000 Pa. The ratio is therefore precisely 10, with no rounding involved.
The most frequently searched value illustrates it:
A hydraulic cylinder is specified for a working pressure of 21 MPa, and your gauge reads in bar:
Reverse direction: divide by 10 — a 350 bar hydraulic system runs at 35 MPa.
| MPa | bar |
|---|---|
| 0.1 | 1 |
| 0.5 | 5 |
| 1 | 10 |
| 2.5 | 25 |
| 10 | 100 |
| 21 | 210 |
| 35 | 350 |
MPa is the SI-preferred unit and dominates in East Asian engineering documentation — Japanese and Chinese valve, compressor and material specifications quote pressure (and material strength) in MPa. Bar remains the everyday unit of European industrial practice: gauges, pneumatic systems (6–8 bar shop air), tire pressure and pump datasheets. The result is that anyone comparing an Asian component datasheet against a European system spec does this ×10 shift constantly. It is worth the one-second check because both units appear in similar numeric ranges for common equipment; misreading 1.6 MPa as 1.6 bar understates the pressure by a factor of ten — the difference between a PN16 flange rating and a vacuum-adjacent duty. Materials engineers get a bonus from the same factor: yield strengths in MPa convert to bar the same way, though in practice N/mm² (= MPa) is the spelling they will see.
How many megapascals are in one bar? One bar (bar) contains 0.1 megapascals (MPa) — the inverse of the factor above. Multiplying by 10 takes you from megapascals to bar; multiplying by 0.1 brings you back.
Put in words: one megapascal equals 10 bar, so the megapascal is the larger unit of this pair. Converting between them never changes the amount of pressure being measured — only the size of the unit you count it in.
If you've ever looked at engineering specifications, construction materials, or high-pressure equipment, you've likely seen the term 'MPa.'
A megapascal (MPa) is a unit of pressure in the metric system, equal to one thousand kilopascals (1000 kPa).
The plural form is megapascals.
The megapascal (MPa) is a fundamental unit for quantifying the strength of materials in engineering and construction.
It is commonly used to express a material's ultimate tensile strength (the maximum stress it can withstand while being pulled apart) and compressive strength (its resistance to being squeezed).
For example, structural steel might have a tensile strength of 400 MPa. In comparison, high-performance concrete can have a compressive strength exceeding 80 MPa.
Understanding how to convert megapascals to other pressure units is crucial for global applications.
Here are the most common conversions:
The pound per square inch (PSI) is a unit commonly used in the United States for measuring tire pressure and hydraulic systems.
The bar is a unit often used in Europe for weather forecasting and scuba diving.
Megapascals are used to describe immense pressures found in both natural and industrial settings.
The water pressure at the bottom of the Mariana Trench, the deepest point in the ocean, is about 108.6 MPa.
In industry, a high-pressure waterjet cutter operates at pressures ranging from 200 to 600 MPa, demonstrating enough force to slice through metal and stone.
The bar is a metric unit of pressure.
It is defined as exactly 100 kilopascals (kPa), or 100,000 Pascals (Pa).
Although it is not an official part of the International System of Units (SI), it is widely accepted for use with the SI. The bar is a popular unit for measuring pressure because it is very close to the average atmospheric pressure on Earth at sea level.
The term "bar" comes from the Greek word βάρος (baros), which means "weight."
The unit was introduced by British meteorologist William Napier Shaw in 1909. It is still widely used in meteorology, oceanography, and engineering.
A common point of confusion is the difference between a bar and a standard atmosphere (atm).
While they are very close in value, they are not the same:
This means 1 bar is approximately equal to 0.987 atm. Because it's so close to atmospheric pressure and is a round number (100 kPa), the bar is a very convenient unit for many applications.
The bar is a versatile unit used to measure pressure in many industrial and everyday contexts.
Common examples include:
Here are some quick reference conversions from megapascal (MPa) to bar (bar):
| megapascals | bar |
|---|---|
| 0.000001 MPa | 10-5 bar |
| 0.001 MPa | 0.01 bar |
| 0.1 MPa | 1 bar |
| 1 MPa | 10 bar |
| 2 MPa | 20 bar |
| 3 MPa | 30 bar |
| 4 MPa | 40 bar |
| 5 MPa | 50 bar |
| 6 MPa | 60 bar |
| 7 MPa | 70 bar |
| 8 MPa | 80 bar |
| 9 MPa | 90 bar |
| 10 MPa | 100 bar |
| 20 MPa | 200 bar |
| 30 MPa | 300 bar |
| 40 MPa | 400 bar |
| 50 MPa | 500 bar |
| 100 MPa | 1000 bar |
| 1000 MPa | 104 bar |
| 10000 MPa | 105 bar |
Engineering datasheets across Europe write megapascal to bar several different ways. The calculation is the same in every one of them.
| Language | Written as | Unit names |
|---|---|---|
| French | MPa en bar | mégapascal → bar |
| Spanish | MPa a bar | megapascal → bar |
| Dutch | MPa naar bar | megapascal → bar |
| German | MPa in bar | Megapascal → Bar |
| Polish | MPa na bar | megapaskal → bar |
For all Pressure converters, choose units using the From/To dropdowns above.