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Single conversion
To convert from millibar (mbar) to pascal (Pa), use the following formula:
Let's convert 5 millibar (mbar) to pascal (Pa).
Using the formula:
Therefore, 5 millibar (mbar) is equal to pascal (Pa).
Here are some quick reference conversions from millibar (mbar) to pascal (Pa):
| millibar | pascals |
|---|---|
| 0.000001 mbar | Pa |
| 0.001 mbar | Pa |
| 0.1 mbar | Pa |
| 1 mbar | Pa |
| 2 mbar | Pa |
| 3 mbar | Pa |
| 4 mbar | Pa |
| 5 mbar | Pa |
| 6 mbar | Pa |
| 7 mbar | Pa |
| 8 mbar | Pa |
| 9 mbar | Pa |
| 10 mbar | Pa |
| 20 mbar | Pa |
| 30 mbar | Pa |
| 40 mbar | Pa |
| 50 mbar | Pa |
| 100 mbar | Pa |
| 1000 mbar | Pa |
| 10000 mbar | Pa |
For all Pressure converters, choose units using the From/To dropdowns above.
A millibar (mbar) is a metric unit used to measure atmospheric pressure.
It's most commonly used in weather forecasting and reporting.
(Technically, one millibar is equal to 0.1 kilopascal, or kPa).
Meteorologists use millibars as the primary unit to measure and report atmospheric pressure.
On weather maps, you'll see lines called isobars, which connect areas of equal pressure, drawn in millibar intervals.
Standard atmospheric pressure at sea level is about 1013 mbar.
This number is a key benchmark for weather conditions:
Yes, for all practical purposes, a millibar (mbar) and a hectopascal (hPa) are the same.
The two units are used interchangeably.
The conversion is simple: 1 mbar = 1 hPa.
While you'll still see millibars in public weather reports (especially in the U.S.), the hectopascal is the preferred SI (International System of Units) unit for global scientific consistency.
A barometer measures barometric pressure—the weight of the air above you—using millibars.
Watching the change in this reading is key to predicting the weather:
A pascal (Pa) is the standard unit of pressure in the International System of Units (SI). It is a derived unit, meaning other base units define it.
The primary pascal definition is one newton of force applied over an area of one square meter (1 Pa = 1 N/m2).
Because a single pascal represents a very small amount of pressure, it is most often seen in multiples.
The most common multiples are the kilopascal (kPa), equal to 1,000 pascals, and the megapascal (MPa), equal to 1,000,000 pascals.
These units are widely used in fields from weather forecasting to material science.
The pascal (Pa) unit is named in honor of Blaise Pascal, a key 17th-century French mathematician, physicist, and inventor.
His groundbreaking work on how fluids behave under pressure (known as hydrodynamics and hydrostatics) and his formulation of Pascal's Law were essential to our modern understanding of pressure.
To understand just how small a single pascal is, here are two real-world examples:
This shows why, for most everyday measurements (like tire pressure or weather), the larger kilopascal (kPa) is much more practical.