Convert Pascal to Megapascal (Pa → MPa)

Converting pascals to megapascals is straightforward: multiply by the conversion factor. Follow these three steps to do it by hand or in your head.

1. 1
   Take your value in pascals

   Start with the number of pascals (Pa) you want to convert.
2. 2
   Multiply by 0.000001

   The conversion factor from Pa to MPa is 0.000001. Multiply your value by this number.
3. 3
   Read the result in megapascals

   The result is your value in megapascals (MPa).

Multiply the value in pascals by 0.000001. For the reverse direction, multiply by 1,000,000.

• ✓1 Pa = 1 N/m².
• ✓1 kPa = 1000 Pa; 1 MPa = 1,000,000 Pa; 1 bar = 100,000 Pa.
• ✓Use kPa, MPa or bar for practical engineering work.

• ✗Confusing Pa with psi — 1 psi = 6895 Pa.
• ✗Using Pa for tyre pressures — 220,000 Pa unwieldy; use 2.2 bar.
• ✗Mixing Pa absolute and Pa gauge without specification.

What is the Pascal?

The pascal is the SI unit of pressure, equal to 1 newton per square meter (1 N/m²). Named after French mathematician and physicist Blaise Pascal (1623–1662), it became the SI standard in 1971. One pascal is a very small pressure: atmospheric pressure at sea level is about 101,325 Pa, the human breath exerts roughly 100 Pa above ambient, and tire pressure is in the hundreds of thousands of pascals. Because the pascal is small, the kilopascal (1 kPa = 1,000 Pa), megapascal (1 MPa = 10⁶ Pa), and gigapascal (1 GPa = 10⁹ Pa) are more commonly used in practice. Modern weather forecasts use hectopascals (1 hPa = 100 Pa = 1 millibar). The pascal relates to the bar (1 bar = 100,000 Pa), the psi (1 psi ≈ 6,895 Pa), the atmosphere (1 atm = 101,325 Pa), and mmHg (1 mmHg ≈ 133.3 Pa). Scientific and engineering publications use the pascal universally.

• Scientific and engineering calculations
• Ventilation and HVAC airflow pressures
• Acoustic pressure (sound) measurements

What is the Megapascal?

The megapascal equals 1,000,000 pascals (or 10 bar) and is the engineering high-pressure unit used in hydraulics, materials testing, and construction. Concrete compressive strength is rated in MPa (typical residential concrete is 20–35 MPa, structural concrete 35–70 MPa, high-strength up to 140 MPa), and steel yield strengths are 250–700 MPa for structural grades. Hydraulic systems operate at 10–70 MPa, and high-pressure-water-jet cutting reaches 400 MPa. The megapascal is dimensionally identical to N/mm² (newtons per square millimeter), making it natural for engineering calculations involving small areas. Earth's mantle pressure reaches gigapascals (1 GPa = 1,000 MPa). The MPa relates to the pascal (10⁶ Pa = 1 MPa), the bar (10 bar = 1 MPa), the psi (1 MPa ≈ 145.04 psi), and the atmosphere (1 MPa ≈ 9.87 atm). It is the standard unit in modern engineering specifications worldwide.

• Hydraulic system pressures
• Concrete and steel strength specifications
• High-pressure industrial processes