The hectopascal (hPa) is a commonly used unit for measuring atmospheric pressure, especially in meteorology. One hPa is equivalent to 100 pascals, making it a preferred measurement over pascals due to the convenient scale. Interestingly, 1 hPa is also equivalent to 1 millibar, a unit that was widely used before the adoption of the hectopascal. This equivalence makes it easy for transitioning instruments and readings in weather maps and reports.
Hectopascals play a crucial role in understanding atmospheric conditions, such as weather forecasting and studying phenomena like hurricanes or cyclones. Typically, sea-level pressure is around 1013 hPa, and deviations from this can indicate changing weather patterns, with lower pressures often associated with storm systems. This connection makes the hPa unit vital for predicting and understanding weather events globally.
A “meter of water @ 4°C” is a unique unit used primarily to measure pressure. At this specific temperature, water reaches its maximum density, and the pressure exerted by a one-meter column of water is approximately 9.81 kilopascals or 0.0979 atmospheres. This scenario represents the optimal conditions for standardizing pressure measurements because the physical properties of water are most stable, reducing variances in calculations.
This unit is especially important in fields like plumbing and hydraulics, where accurate pressure measurements are crucial. Understanding these principles can lead to better designs in water distribution systems, preventing common issues such as pipe bursts or inefficient water flow, ensuring systems operate safely and efficiently.
Hectopascals | Meters of water @ 4°C |
---|---|
0
hPa
|
0
mH₂O
|
10
hPa
|
0.101972
mH₂O
|
20
hPa
|
0.203943
mH₂O
|
30
hPa
|
0.305915
mH₂O
|
40
hPa
|
0.407886
mH₂O
|
50
hPa
|
0.509858
mH₂O
|
60
hPa
|
0.61183
mH₂O
|
70
hPa
|
0.713801
mH₂O
|
80
hPa
|
0.815773
mH₂O
|
90
hPa
|
0.917745
mH₂O
|
100
hPa
|
1.01972
mH₂O
|
110
hPa
|
1.12169
mH₂O
|
120
hPa
|
1.22366
mH₂O
|
130
hPa
|
1.32563
mH₂O
|
140
hPa
|
1.4276
mH₂O
|
150
hPa
|
1.52957
mH₂O
|
160
hPa
|
1.63155
mH₂O
|
170
hPa
|
1.73352
mH₂O
|
180
hPa
|
1.83549
mH₂O
|
190
hPa
|
1.93746
mH₂O
|
200
hPa
|
2.03943
mH₂O
|
210
hPa
|
2.1414
mH₂O
|
220
hPa
|
2.24338
mH₂O
|
230
hPa
|
2.34535
mH₂O
|
240
hPa
|
2.44732
mH₂O
|
250
hPa
|
2.54929
mH₂O
|
260
hPa
|
2.65126
mH₂O
|
270
hPa
|
2.75323
mH₂O
|
280
hPa
|
2.85521
mH₂O
|
290
hPa
|
2.95718
mH₂O
|
300
hPa
|
3.05915
mH₂O
|
310
hPa
|
3.16112
mH₂O
|
320
hPa
|
3.26309
mH₂O
|
330
hPa
|
3.36506
mH₂O
|
340
hPa
|
3.46704
mH₂O
|
350
hPa
|
3.56901
mH₂O
|
360
hPa
|
3.67098
mH₂O
|
370
hPa
|
3.77295
mH₂O
|
380
hPa
|
3.87492
mH₂O
|
390
hPa
|
3.97689
mH₂O
|
400
hPa
|
4.07886
mH₂O
|
410
hPa
|
4.18084
mH₂O
|
420
hPa
|
4.28281
mH₂O
|
430
hPa
|
4.38478
mH₂O
|
440
hPa
|
4.48675
mH₂O
|
450
hPa
|
4.58872
mH₂O
|
460
hPa
|
4.69069
mH₂O
|
470
hPa
|
4.79267
mH₂O
|
480
hPa
|
4.89464
mH₂O
|
490
hPa
|
4.99661
mH₂O
|
500
hPa
|
5.09858
mH₂O
|
510
hPa
|
5.20055
mH₂O
|
520
hPa
|
5.30252
mH₂O
|
530
hPa
|
5.4045
mH₂O
|
540
hPa
|
5.50647
mH₂O
|
550
hPa
|
5.60844
mH₂O
|
560
hPa
|
5.71041
mH₂O
|
570
hPa
|
5.81238
mH₂O
|
580
hPa
|
5.91435
mH₂O
|
590
hPa
|
6.01633
mH₂O
|
600
hPa
|
6.1183
mH₂O
|
610
hPa
|
6.22027
mH₂O
|
620
hPa
|
6.32224
mH₂O
|
630
hPa
|
6.42421
mH₂O
|
640
hPa
|
6.52618
mH₂O
|
650
hPa
|
6.62816
mH₂O
|
660
hPa
|
6.73013
mH₂O
|
670
hPa
|
6.8321
mH₂O
|
680
hPa
|
6.93407
mH₂O
|
690
hPa
|
7.03604
mH₂O
|
700
hPa
|
7.13801
mH₂O
|
710
hPa
|
7.23999
mH₂O
|
720
hPa
|
7.34196
mH₂O
|
730
hPa
|
7.44393
mH₂O
|
740
hPa
|
7.5459
mH₂O
|
750
hPa
|
7.64787
mH₂O
|
760
hPa
|
7.74984
mH₂O
|
770
hPa
|
7.85181
mH₂O
|
780
hPa
|
7.95379
mH₂O
|
790
hPa
|
8.05576
mH₂O
|
800
hPa
|
8.15773
mH₂O
|
810
hPa
|
8.2597
mH₂O
|
820
hPa
|
8.36167
mH₂O
|
830
hPa
|
8.46364
mH₂O
|
840
hPa
|
8.56562
mH₂O
|
850
hPa
|
8.66759
mH₂O
|
860
hPa
|
8.76956
mH₂O
|
870
hPa
|
8.87153
mH₂O
|
880
hPa
|
8.9735
mH₂O
|
890
hPa
|
9.07547
mH₂O
|
900
hPa
|
9.17745
mH₂O
|
910
hPa
|
9.27942
mH₂O
|
920
hPa
|
9.38139
mH₂O
|
930
hPa
|
9.48336
mH₂O
|
940
hPa
|
9.58533
mH₂O
|
950
hPa
|
9.6873
mH₂O
|
960
hPa
|
9.78928
mH₂O
|
970
hPa
|
9.89125
mH₂O
|
980
hPa
|
9.99322
mH₂O
|
990
hPa
|
10.09519
mH₂O
|
1000
hPa
|
10.19716
mH₂O
|
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