Understanding Torr and Pascal Pressure Units

The Torr (symbol: Torr) is a unit of pressure based on an absolute scale, named after the Italian physicist Evangelista Torricelli. One Torr is exactly 1/760 of a standard atmosphere, which is approximately equal to the pressure exerted by a 1 mm column of mercury at 0°C.

The Pascal (symbol: Pa) is the SI derived unit of pressure, defined as one newton per square meter. It is widely used in scientific contexts and is the standard unit for pressure measurements in most countries.

Conversion Formula

The exact conversion between Torr and Pascal is:

1 Torr = 133.32236842105 Pascal
1 Pascal = 0.0075006168270417 Torr

Common Pressure Conversions

Torr	Pascal (Pa)
1 Torr	133.322 Pa
10 Torr	1,333.224 Pa
100 Torr	13,332.237 Pa
760 Torr (1 atm)	101,325 Pa

Practical Applications

Vacuum Systems: Torr is commonly used to measure vacuum pressures in scientific and industrial applications.
Meteorology: Atmospheric pressure is sometimes measured in Torr, though hectopascals (hPa) are more common.
Medical Equipment: Blood pressure measurements and vacuum-assisted devices often use Torr as a unit.
Engineering: Pascal is the standard SI unit for pressure used in engineering calculations and specifications.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why are there different pressure units?

Different fields developed their own traditional units for pressure measurement. While the Pascal is the SI standard, traditional units like Torr, psi, and bar remain in use due to historical conventions and specialized applications.

Is the conversion between Torr and Pascal exact?

Yes, the conversion factor is exact and based on the definition of standard atmosphere (101,325 Pa = 760 Torr exactly).

What's the difference between Torr and mmHg?

While 1 Torr was originally defined to be equal to 1 mmHg, they are now slightly different. 1 Torr = 0.9999998575337 mmHg, but for most practical purposes they are considered equivalent.

Torr to Pascal Converter

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Torr to Pascal Converter

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