Millimeters of Mercury (mmHg)
A unit of pressure historically defined as the pressure exerted by a 1-millimeter column of mercury at standard gravity. Millimeters of mercury are the default unit for clinical blood-pressure readings worldwide ("120 over 80") and intraocular pressure in ophthalmology. The mmHg is numerically almost identical to the torr (1 mmHg ≈ 1.0000007 torr). Barometric atmospheric pressure was historically quoted in mmHg as well — 760 mmHg = 1 atm.
The Millimeters of Mercury (mmHg) is a unit of pressure with a history connected to the study of fluids, gases, and atmospheric phenomena. Evangelista Torricelli's invention of the barometer in 1643 was a landmark in pressure measurement, and subsequent work by Blaise Pascal established the mathematical foundations. The pascal — the SI unit — was named in Pascal's honor when the SI system was formalized. The Millimeters of Mercury reflects either the SI tradition or the practical conventions of specific industries that standardized their measurements independently.
Accurate pressure measurement is critical in engineering, science, commerce, and everyday life. Using the correct unit and applying conversions precisely prevents errors that can be costly or dangerous in professional applications. MegaCalc provides instant, precise conversions for the Millimeters of Mercury and all related units so you can work confidently across unit systems.
Conversion Table
| Unit | Symbol | 1 mmHg = |
|---|---|---|
| Pascal | Pa | 133.322 Pa |
| Kilopascal | kPa | 0.133322 kPa |
| Bar | bar | 0.00133322 bar |
| Atmosphere | atm | 0.00131579 atm |
| Pound per Square Inch | psi | 0.0193367 psi |
| Megapascal | MPa | 0.000133322 MPa |
| Gigapascal | GPa | 1.333220e-7 GPa |
| Kilopound per Square Inch | ksi | 0.0000193367 ksi |
| Torr | torr | 1 torr |
| Inch of Mercury | inHg | 0.0393699 inHg |
| Kilogram-force per Square Centimeter | kgf/cm² | 0.00135951 kgf/cm² |
Conversions Involving Millimeters of Mercury
Pascal → Millimeters of Mercury
Pa → mmHg
Kilopascal → Millimeters of Mercury
kPa → mmHg
Bar → Millimeters of Mercury
bar → mmHg
Atmosphere → Millimeters of Mercury
atm → mmHg
Pound per Square Inch → Millimeters of Mercury
psi → mmHg
Millimeters of Mercury → Pascal
mmHg → Pa
Millimeters of Mercury → Kilopascal
mmHg → kPa
Millimeters of Mercury → Bar
mmHg → bar
Millimeters of Mercury → Atmosphere
mmHg → atm
Millimeters of Mercury → Pound per Square Inch
mmHg → psi
Millimeters of Mercury → Megapascal
mmHg → MPa
Millimeters of Mercury → Gigapascal
mmHg → GPa
Millimeters of Mercury → Kilopound per Square Inch
mmHg → ksi
Millimeters of Mercury → Torr
mmHg → torr
Millimeters of Mercury → Inch of Mercury
mmHg → inHg
Millimeters of Mercury → Kilogram-force per Square Centimeter
mmHg → kgf/cm²
Megapascal → Millimeters of Mercury
MPa → mmHg
Gigapascal → Millimeters of Mercury
GPa → mmHg
Kilopound per Square Inch → Millimeters of Mercury
ksi → mmHg
Torr → Millimeters of Mercury
torr → mmHg
Inch of Mercury → Millimeters of Mercury
inHg → mmHg
Kilogram-force per Square Centimeter → Millimeters of Mercury
kgf/cm² → mmHg
Common Uses of the Millimeters of Mercury
- •Automotive — inflating tires to manufacturer-specified pressures
- •Weather reporting — tracking barometric pressure for forecasting
- •Hydraulic systems — designing and operating fluid power equipment
- •Scuba diving — calculating safe dive depths based on partial pressures
- •Medical — measuring blood pressure and calibrating medical equipment
Did You Know?
The deepest point in the ocean — the Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench — has a water pressure of approximately 110 MPa, or about 1,086 times standard atmospheric pressure. The Millimeters of Mercury is one of several units used to express pressures across this extraordinary range.
Scientific Definition of the Millimeters of Mercury
The Millimeters of Mercury (mmHg) is defined within the context of pressure measurement. Modern metrology ties most measurement units to fundamental physical constants or precisely reproducible laboratory references, ensuring that a measurement made in one laboratory gives the same result as a measurement made anywhere else in the world. This traceability to international standards is what makes the Millimeters of Mercury reliable for scientific research, commercial trade, engineering design, and legal metrology. When you use a conversion tool to translate between the Millimeters of Mercury and other units, the underlying conversion factors are the exact ratios defined by international standards bodies — not approximations. This means the only limit to the accuracy of a conversion is the precision of your input measurement. For everyday use, converting the Millimeters of Mercury to equivalent units in other systems is instant and accurate to many more decimal places than any practical measurement could justify.
Tips for Converting the Millimeters of Mercury
When converting the Millimeters of Mercury to other pressure units, pay careful attention to the direction of the conversion factor — multiplying and dividing are not interchangeable. A quick sanity check is to estimate the expected magnitude of the result before performing the conversion: if the target unit is larger than the Millimeters of Mercury, the numerical value should be smaller, and vice versa. For chained conversions across multiple unit systems, convert everything to a common intermediate unit (typically the SI base unit) and then from that intermediate to the target. This approach is more reliable than direct conversion through multiple factors and makes the calculation easier to verify. When working with very large or very small values, consider whether a metric prefix (milli-, kilo-, mega-) would make the number easier to interpret without losing precision. For critical applications, always cross-check the converted value using a second method — a different calculator, a published table, or a hand calculation using the conversion factor directly.
Accuracy and Precision
Conversion of the Millimeters of Mercury is performed using exact, internationally defined factors wherever possible. For units defined by historical artifact or local convention, small differences between national standards may exist — for example, the difference between US survey foot and international foot, or the subtle variations between different definitions of the BTU. These differences are usually negligible for everyday use but matter in precision engineering, legal metrology, and international scientific collaboration. The MegaCalc conversion engine uses the most current internationally accepted values and documents any edge cases where multiple definitions exist. Numerical precision of conversions is carried to at least 10 significant figures internally, with displayed results rounded to a readable length. If you need additional precision for a specific calculation, the underlying engine provides the full precision on request — just inspect the source code or contact us for details.