Technical atmosphere Conversion

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.