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Kilogram-force per Square Centimeter (kgf/cm²) - Unit Information & Conversion

Symbol:kgf/cm²
Plural:kilograms-force per square centimeter
Category:Pressure

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What is a Kilogram-force per Square Centimeter?

Kilogram-force per square centimeter (kgf/cm², kg/cm², or at) is metric gravitational pressure unit. 1 kgf/cm² = 98,066.5 Pa ≈ 0.981 bar ≈ 14.22 PSI. Used in older European/Asian engineering, hydraulics, HVAC.

History of the Kilogram-force per Square Centimeter

Traditional metric engineering unit (pre-SI). Based on kilogram-force (weight of 1kg mass). Common in European/Asian industries until 1970s SI adoption. Still found in older equipment specs, some Asian countries. Replaced by bar, MPa in modern usage.

Quick Answer

What is kgf/cm²? Kilogram-force per square centimeter (kgf/cm², also kg/cm² or "at") is gravitational pressure unit. 1 kgf/cm² = 98,066.5 Pa ≈ 0.981 bar ≈ 14.22 PSI ≈ 1 atm. Common in older metric engineering, hydraulics, HVAC. Still used in some Asian countries. Use our pressure converter for conversions.

Definition

1 kgf/cm² = 98,066.5 Pa = 98.0665 kPa = 0.980665 bar = 0.0981 MPa = 14.2233 PSI = 0.9678 atm

Also written as: kg/cm², at (technical atmosphere), kgf/cm2, kg-f/cm²

Physical meaning: Pressure exerted by 1 kilogram-force over 1 square centimeter

Common Uses

Older Engineering: Equipment specifications from pre-1980s. Hydraulics: Older hydraulic systems (Europe, Asia). HVAC: Refrigeration pressures (some regions). Asian Industries: Still common in China, India, Japan for some applications.

Real-World Examples

Approximate Equivalents

  • 1 kgf/cm² ≈ 1 atmosphere ≈ 1 bar (easy to remember)
  • Actually: 1.033 kgf/cm² = 1 atm exactly
  • And: 1.0197 kgf/cm² = 1 bar exactly

Tire Pressures (Older Specifications)

  • Bicycle: 4-6 kgf/cm² (58-87 PSI)
  • Motorcycle: 1.8-2.5 kgf/cm² (26-36 PSI)
  • Passenger car: 1.8-2.2 kgf/cm² (26-31 PSI)
  • Truck: 5-7 kgf/cm² (71-100 PSI)

Modern equivalent: Now specified in bar or kPa in most countries

Hydraulic Systems (Historical)

  • Low pressure hydraulics: 5-10 kgf/cm² (71-142 PSI)
  • Medium pressure: 50-100 kgf/cm² (710-1,422 PSI)
  • High pressure: 150-250 kgf/cm² (2,133-3,554 PSI)
  • Very high pressure: >350 kgf/cm² (>4,976 PSI)

Water & Steam Systems

  • Water main pressure: 2-6 kgf/cm² (28-85 PSI)
  • Boiler pressure (low): 5-15 kgf/cm² (71-213 PSI)
  • Boiler pressure (high): 50-200 kgf/cm² (710-2,844 PSI)
  • Steam turbine: 100-300 kgf/cm² (1,422-4,266 PSI)

Industrial Air & Gas

  • Compressed air (shop): 6-8 kgf/cm² (85-114 PSI)
  • Pneumatic tools: 5-7 kgf/cm² (71-100 PSI)
  • Gas cylinder: 150-200 kgf/cm² (2,133-2,844 PSI)

Material Testing (Older Data)

  • Concrete strength: 150-400 kgf/cm² (2,133-5,688 PSI)
    • Modern: 15-40 MPa
  • Steel yield strength: 2,500-4,000 kgf/cm² (35,560-56,896 PSI)
    • Modern: 250-400 MPa

Kilogram-force per Square Centimeter Conversion Formulas

To Pascal:

1 kgf/cm² = 98066.5 Pa
Example: 5 kilograms-force per square centimeter = 490332.5 pascals

To Kilopascal:

1 kgf/cm² = 98.0665 kPa
Example: 5 kilograms-force per square centimeter = 490.3325 kilopascals

To Megapascal:

1 kgf/cm² = 0.098067 MPa
Example: 5 kilograms-force per square centimeter = 0.490333 megapascals

To Hectopascal:

1 kgf/cm² = 980.665 hPa
Example: 5 kilograms-force per square centimeter = 4903.325 hectopascals

To Bar:

1 kgf/cm² = 0.980665 bar
Example: 5 kilograms-force per square centimeter = 4.903325 bars

To Millibar:

1 kgf/cm² = 980.665 mbar
Example: 5 kilograms-force per square centimeter = 4903.325 millibars

To Atmosphere:

1 kgf/cm² = 0.967841 atm
Example: 5 kilograms-force per square centimeter = 4.839206 atmospheres

To Technical Atmosphere:

1 kgf/cm² = 1 at
Example: 5 kilograms-force per square centimeter = 5 technical atmospheres

To Torr:

1 kgf/cm² = 735.55924 Torr
Example: 5 kilograms-force per square centimeter = 3677.7962 torr

To Millimeter of Mercury:

1 kgf/cm² = 735.55924 mmHg
Example: 5 kilograms-force per square centimeter = 3677.7962 millimeters of mercury

To Inch of Mercury:

1 kgf/cm² = 28.959018 inHg
Example: 5 kilograms-force per square centimeter = 144.79509 inches of mercury

To Pound per Square Inch:

1 kgf/cm² = 14.223343 psi
Example: 5 kilograms-force per square centimeter = 71.116717 pounds per square inch

To Kilopound per Square Inch:

1 kgf/cm² = 0.014223 ksi
Example: 5 kilograms-force per square centimeter = 0.071117 kilopounds per square inch

To Kilogram-force per Square Meter:

1 kgf/cm² = 10000 kgf/m²
Example: 5 kilograms-force per square centimeter = 50000 kilograms-force per square meter

To Millimeter of Water Column:

1 kgf/cm² = 10000 mmH₂O
Example: 5 kilograms-force per square centimeter = 50000 millimeters of water column

To Inch of Water Column:

1 kgf/cm² = 393.70079 inH₂O
Example: 5 kilograms-force per square centimeter = 1968.50395 inches of water column

Frequently Asked Questions

Formula: bar = kgf/cm² × 0.980665 Quick approximation: 1 kgf/cm² ≈ 1 bar (2% difference) Exact examples:

  • 1 kgf/cm² = 0.981 bar
  • 2 kgf/cm² = 1.961 bar
  • 5 kgf/cm² = 4.903 bar
  • 10 kgf/cm² = 9.807 bar
  • 100 kgf/cm² = 98.07 bar Inverse: 1 bar = 1.0197 kgf/cm² kgf/cm² to Bar converter →

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Kilogram-force per Square Centimeter Quick Info

kgf/cm²
Symbol:kgf/cm²
Category:Pressure
System:Various
Convert Kilogram-force per Square Centimeter

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