UnitSnapViscosity converter
Viscosity is a fluid's resistance to flow. This category covers dynamic (absolute) viscosity, whose SI unit is the pascal-second (Pa·s), equal to one newton-second per square meter or one kilogram per meter-second. Thick fluids like honey have high viscosity, while water and gases have low viscosity.
Convert between 7 viscosity units. Pick any two units below; results update as you type.
Popular viscosity conversions
About viscosity units
The CGS unit is the poise (P), exactly 0.1 Pa·s, and the centipoise (cP) is exactly 1 mPa·s. Water at about 20 °C has a viscosity close to 1 cP, which makes the centipoise a convenient everyday unit. US engineering sometimes uses pounds per foot-second.
Kinematic viscosity, measured in stokes or centistokes, is a different quantity: dynamic viscosity divided by density. Many lubricant and oil data sheets list kinematic viscosity, so check which type a value represents.
Tips
- Viscosity changes strongly with temperature; always note the temperature at which a value was measured.
- Centipoise and millipascal-seconds are numerically identical, so values can be swapped directly.
- Do not convert centistokes to centipoise without knowing the fluid density.
All viscosity units
| Unit | Symbol | Value in centipoise |
|---|---|---|
| Centipoise | cP | 1 cP = 1 cP |
| Poise | P | 1 P = 100 cP |
| Dyne Seconds per Square Centimeter | dyn·s/cm² | 1 dyn·s/cm² = 100 cP |
| Kilograms per Meter Second | kg/(m·s) | 1 kg/(m·s) = 1,000 cP |
| Pascal Seconds | Pa·s | 1 Pa·s = 1,000 cP |
| Millipascal Seconds | mPa·s | 1 mPa·s = 1 cP |
| Pounds per Foot Second | lb/(ft·s) | 1 lb/(ft·s) = 1,488.164 cP |
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Factors: NIST SP 811 · SI Brochure · NIST Handbook 44 — Updated