Convert Pressure from millimeters of mercury to bar (mmHg to bar)

Select a category and enter your values below

Single conversion

millimeter of mercury to bar Conversion Formula

To convert from millimeter of mercury (mmHg) to bar (bar), use the following formula:

bar (bar)

= 0.133322 × 1100× millimeter of mercury (mmHg)

= 0.00133322× millimeter of mercury (mmHg)


Example

Let's convert 5 millimeter of mercury (mmHg) to bar (bar).

Using the formula:

5 × 0.00133322 = 0.0066661

Therefore, 5 millimeter of mercury (mmHg) is equal to 0.0066661 bar (bar).

How many millimeters of mercury are in one bar? One bar (bar) contains 750.0637554192106329 millimeters of mercury (mmHg) — the inverse of the factor above. Multiplying by 0.00133322 takes you from millimeters of mercury to bar; multiplying by 750.0637554192106329 brings you back.

Put in words: one millimeter of mercury equals 0.00133322 bar, so the millimeter of mercury is the smaller 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.

What Is a Millimeter of Mercury (mmHg)?

A millimeter of mercury (mmHg) is a manometric unit of pressure.

It was historically defined as the pressure generated by a column of mercury exactly one millimeter high.

Today, it is most famous as the unit used in medicine for measuring blood pressure. It is also commonly used in meteorology, aviation, and physics to measure atmospheric pressure or vacuum pressure.


The Origin of the mmHg Unit

The mmHg unit originates from the invention of the barometer by Evangelista Torricelli in 1643.

Torricelli's device measured atmospheric pressure by seeing how high it could support a column of mercury in a tube.

Standard atmospheric pressure was found to support a column approximately 760 mm high, which established 760 mmHg as a standard reference point.


Common Applications of mmHg

The most well-known application of mmHg is in medicine.

  • Blood Pressure: Readings are given as two numbers: systolic pressure (when the heart beats) over diastolic pressure (when the heart rests), such as 120/80 mmHg. This is a critical vital sign for human health.

  • Meteorology: Used for reporting barometric (atmospheric) pressure, which helps in weather forecasting.

  • Physics & Engineering: Used for measuring vacuum pressures and other low-pressure systems where precision is needed.


How to Convert mmHg to Other Pressure Units

While mmHg is common, other pressure units are standard in different fields. Here are the most common conversions:

  • 1 mmHg = 133.322 pascals (Pa)
  • 1 mmHg = 0.133322 kilopascals (kPa)
  • 760 mmHg = 1 standard atmosphere (atm)

What is a bar (bar)?

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.


Origin of the Bar

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.


Bar vs. Standard Atmosphere (atm)

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:

  • 1 bar = 100,000 Pascals (Pa)
  • 1 atmosphere (atm) = 101,325 Pascals (Pa)

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.


Common Applications of the Bar

The bar is a versatile unit used to measure pressure in many industrial and everyday contexts.

Common examples include:

  • Automotive: Measuring tire pressure (often listed on a car's door jamb alongside PSI).
  • Scuba Diving: Expressing the amount of air pressure inside diving tanks.
  • Weather: Used by meteorologists for weather forecasting and reading atmospheric pressure.
  • Plumbing & Pumps: Measuring water pressure in pipes and pump systems.
  • Industrial: Measuring air pressure in pneumatic equipment and gas pressure in cylinders for welding.

millimeter of mercury to bar Conversion Table

Here are some quick reference conversions from millimeter of mercury (mmHg) to bar (bar):

millimeters of mercurybar
0.000001 mmHg1.33322× 10-9 bar
0.001 mmHg0.00000133322 bar
0.1 mmHg0.000133322 bar
1 mmHg0.00133322 bar
2 mmHg0.00266644 bar
3 mmHg0.00399966 bar
4 mmHg0.00533288 bar
5 mmHg0.0066661 bar
6 mmHg0.00799932 bar
7 mmHg0.00933254 bar
8 mmHg0.01066576 bar
9 mmHg0.01199898 bar
10 mmHg0.0133322 bar
20 mmHg0.0266644 bar
30 mmHg0.0399966 bar
40 mmHg0.0533288 bar
50 mmHg0.066661 bar
100 mmHg0.133322 bar
1000 mmHg1.33322 bar
10000 mmHg13.3322 bar

List some Pressure Converters

For all Pressure converters, choose units using the From/To dropdowns above.