Convert Technical atmosphere to Millibar

The Technical Atmosphere (symbol: at) is a unit of pressure that is not part of the International System of Units (SI) but is still used in some contexts, particularly in engineering. It represents the pressure exerted by a 1-kilogram force over an area of 1 square centimeter.

1. Defined Value:

   • 1 technical atmosphere (at) is defined as 98,066.5 pascals (Pa), which is equivalent to 98.0665 kilopascals (kPa) or approximately 0.9678 Standard Atmospheres (atm).

2. Basis of Definition:

   • The technical atmosphere is based on the idea of the force exerted by gravity on a mass of 1 kilogram over a specific area. Specifically, it considers a standard gravitational acceleration of 9.80665 meters per second squared (m/s²).

3. Usage:

   • The technical atmosphere is sometimes used in engineering fields, particularly in Europe, for expressing pressures in contexts like hydraulics, pneumatics, and other areas involving mechanical forces.
   • Although less common today, it might still be encountered in older documents, manuals, or in industries where legacy systems or traditional units are in use.

4. Comparison with Other Units:

   • The technical atmosphere is slightly less than the Pressure Standard Atmosphere (1 atm), which is 101,325 pascals. This means that 1 at is about 96.78% of 1 atm.
   • It’s important to note the distinction between the technical atmosphere and the standard atmosphere, as they represent slightly different pressure values.

5. Historical Context:

   • The technical atmosphere was more commonly used before the widespread adoption of the SI unit system, which uses the pascal (Pa) as the standard unit for pressure. As such, its use has declined in favor of SI units, but it remains relevant in certain specialized contexts.

In summary, the Technical Atmosphere (at) is a unit of pressure defined as the pressure exerted by a 1-kilogram force over an area of 1 square centimeter. Although not an SI unit, it has been used historically in engineering and is still encountered in some specialized applications.

The Pressure Millibar (symbol: mb or mbar) is a unit of pressure commonly used in meteorology to measure atmospheric pressure. It is part of the metric system and is particularly favored in weather reports, forecasts, and studies of the atmosphere.

1. Defined Value:

   • 1 millibar (mb) is defined as 100 pascals (Pa). Since 1 pascal is the pressure of 1 newton per square meter, a millibar corresponds to 100 newtons per square meter.

2. Relation to Other Units:

   • Hectopascal (hPa): The millibar is equivalent to the hectopascal, another unit commonly used in meteorology. Therefore, 1 mb = 1 hPa = 100 Pa.
   • Standard Atmosphere: The average atmospheric pressure at sea level is about 1013.25 millibars or 1013.25 hPa, which equals 1 atmosphere (atm).

3. Usage:

   • The millibar is primarily used to measure atmospheric pressure in weather systems. Meteorologists use millibars to describe high and low-pressure areas, which are critical for predicting weather patterns such as storms, winds, and temperature changes.
   • For example, a typical low-pressure system might have a pressure of around 980 mb, while a high-pressure system might have a pressure of 1020 mb.

4. Why It’s Important:

   • Understanding pressure in millibars helps meteorologists and the public interpret weather maps and forecasts. A drop in millibar readings usually indicates a storm or bad weather, while higher millibar readings suggest calmer, more stable conditions.

5. Historical Context:

   • The millibar has been in use for over a century and was originally part of the cgs (centimeter-gram-second) system of units. Even though the pascal is the official SI unit of pressure, the millibar remains widely used in meteorology because of its convenient scale for expressing atmospheric pressures.

In summary, the Pressure Millibar is a unit of pressure equal to 100 pascals. It is extensively used in meteorology to describe atmospheric pressure and is key to understanding weather patterns and forecasts.