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An inch of mercury, often abbreviated as inHg, is a unit of pressure.
It is not part of the standard metric (SI) system but is widely used in the United States and in specific fields like meteorology and aviation.
The unit is defined by its name: it is the amount of pressure exerted by a column of liquid mercury exactly one inch tall at a standard temperature.
You will most commonly encounter inches of mercury in a few key areas:
Weather Reporting: In the U.S., inHg is the standard unit for reporting barometric pressure (also known as atmospheric pressure).
A "high" pressure system indicating clear weather might be around 30.50 inHg, while a "low" pressure system associated with storms could be 28.50 inHg.
Aviation: This measurement is critical for pilot safety.
Pilots use the local barometric pressure (in inHg) to calibrate their altimeters—instruments that measure altitude—to ensure they are flying at the correct height.
Vacuum Systems: The unit is also widely used in science and industry to measure vacuum pressure.
This is common in systems like air conditioning, refrigeration, and for monitoring the manifold pressure in piston engines.
Because inHg is not a global standard, it's often necessary to convert it to other pressure units for calculations or international use.
Here are the most common conversions for 1 inHg: