Convert Pressure from millimeters of mercury to millibar (mmHg to mbar)

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Single conversion

Millimeter of Mercury to Millibar Conversion Formula

To convert a pressure from millimeters of mercury (mmHg) to millibars (mbar), multiply by 1.3332.

  • mbar = mmHg × 1.3332

The factor comes from the definition of the conventional millimeter of mercury as 133.322 Pa, while a millibar is exactly 100 Pa; dividing the two gives 1.33322. The classic anchor holds in this direction too: 760 mmHg — one standard atmosphere — equals 1,013.25 mbar.

Step-by-Step Example

A vacuum drying oven is holding 5 mmHg absolute, and the process specification is written in mbar:

  1. Take the reading: 5 mmHg
  2. Multiply by 1.3332: 5 × 1.3332 = 6.67 mbar

For the reverse conversion multiply by 0.75006 (or divide by 1.3332).

Quick Reference Table

mmHgmbar
11.33
56.67
100133.32
250333.31
7601,013.25
1,0001,333.22

Vacuum Work Is Where They Collide

Outside meteorology, the place these two units constantly meet is vacuum technology. Older vacuum practice — and the entire North American vacuum industry — measures in mmHg and its alias the Torr (for practical purposes 1 Torr = 1 mmHg; they differ only at the ninth decimal). European vacuum equipment, by contrast, is instrumented in mbar: pump curves, gauge displays and leak-detection specs. Freeze dryers, rotary evaporators, degassing chambers and semiconductor load-locks routinely carry documentation in one unit and gauges in the other, making ×1.3332 a daily operation in lab and plant work. A convenient sanity check when working near rough vacuum: values in mbar should always be about a third larger than in mmHg — if your converted number got smaller, you multiplied the wrong way. Medical readers note: blood-pressure values stay in mmHg by convention worldwide; converting them to mbar is practically never done clinically.

How many millimeters of mercury are in one millibar? One millibar (mbar) contains 0.7500637554192106329 millimeters of mercury (mmHg) — the inverse of the factor above. Multiplying by 1.33322 takes you from millimeters of mercury to millibar; multiplying by 0.7500637554192106329 brings you back.

Put in words: one millimeter of mercury equals 1.33322 millibar, so the millimeter of mercury 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.

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 millibar (mbar)?

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).


The Role of Millibars in Weather Forecasting

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:

  • High-Pressure System (Anticyclone): Generally above 1013 mbar, associated with clear skies and calm weather.
  • Low-Pressure System (Cyclone): Generally below 1013 mbar, often bringing clouds, wind, and storms.

Are Millibars and Hectopascals (hPa) the Same?

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.


How to Read Barometric Pressure in Millibars

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 falling barometer (decreasing mbar value) suggests a low-pressure system is approaching, bringing a higher chance of rain or storms.
  • A rising barometer (increasing mbar value) typically signals a high-pressure system is moving in, meaning improving or fair weather.

millimeter of mercury to millibar Conversion Table

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

millimeters of mercurymillibar
0.000001 mmHg0.00000133322 mbar
0.001 mmHg0.00133322 mbar
0.1 mmHg0.133322 mbar
1 mmHg1.33322 mbar
2 mmHg2.66644 mbar
3 mmHg3.99966 mbar
4 mmHg5.33288 mbar
5 mmHg6.6661 mbar
6 mmHg7.99932 mbar
7 mmHg9.33254 mbar
8 mmHg10.66576 mbar
9 mmHg11.99898 mbar
10 mmHg13.3322 mbar
20 mmHg26.6644 mbar
30 mmHg39.9966 mbar
40 mmHg53.3288 mbar
50 mmHg66.661 mbar
100 mmHg133.322 mbar
1000 mmHg1333.22 mbar
10000 mmHg13332.2 mbar

This conversion in other languages

Engineering datasheets across Europe write millimeter of mercury to millibar several different ways. The calculation is the same in every one of them.

LanguageWritten asUnit names
FrenchmmHg en mbarmillimètre de mercuremillibar
SpanishmmHg a mbarmilímetro de mercuriomilibar
DutchmmHg naar mbarmillimeter kwikdrukmillibar
GermanmmHg in mbarMillimeter QuecksilbersäuleMillibar
PolishmmHg na mbarmilimetr słupa rtęcimilibar

mmHg to mbar Frequently Asked Questions

How many mbar is 1 mmHg?

1 mmHg = 1.33322 mbar. One millimeter of mercury is the pressure exerted by a mercury column one millimeter high, which works out to 133.322 pascals.

What is the formula to convert mmHg to mbar?

Multiply the pressure in millimeters of mercury by 1.33322. For example, 50 mmHg × 1.33322 = 66.661 mbar.

Is a millibar the same as a hectopascal?

Yes, exactly. One millibar and one hectopascal are both 100 pascals. Weather services relabelled millibars as hectopascals in the 1980s without changing a single reading, so a 1013 mbar chart and a 1013 hPa chart show identical pressure.

Is mmHg the same as torr?

For practical purposes yes, but not by definition. A torr is exactly one seven-hundred-and-sixtieth of a standard atmosphere, while a millimeter of mercury is defined from mercury density and standard gravity. The two differ by about one part in seven million, which no clinical or vacuum gauge can resolve.

How do I convert 760 mmHg to mbar?

Multiply by 1.33322: 760 mmHg = 1013.2 mbar, which is standard atmospheric pressure at sea level.

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