What Is Newton per Square Centimeter (N/cm²)?
Newton per square centimeter is a unit used to measure pressure. It tells you how strongly a force pushes on each square centimeter of surface. If a force of 1 newton presses on an area of 1 square centimeter, the pressure is 1 newton per square centimeter.
Definition
Pressure is how much force acts on a certain area. Newton per square centimeter connects these ideas:
- Force is measured in newtons, written N.
- Area is measured in square centimeters, written cm².
1 N/cm² means a push of 1 newton spread over an area of 1 cm².
In the International System of Units, the main pressure unit is the pascal, written Pa. These two units are linked by this rule:
- 1 N/cm² = 10,000 Pa
- 1 N/cm² = 10 kilopascals, written 10 kPa
This happens because 1 cm² is much smaller than 1 m². So the same force on a smaller area gives a larger pressure value.
History / Origin
The unit newton per square centimeter is built from two older ideas, the newton and the centimeter.
- Newton is the SI unit of force. It is named after the scientist Isaac Newton. One newton is the force needed to speed up a 1 kilogram mass by 1 meter per second every second.
- Centimeter is a metric unit of length. One centimeter is one hundredth of a meter. A square centimeter is a little square with each side 1 centimeter long.
When scientists and engineers began using the metric system, they sometimes combined these two ideas to describe pressure as newtons per square centimeter. Over time the pascal became the main official SI pressure unit, but N/cm² is still used in some fields because it gives nicely sized numbers for many real life pressures.
Symbol & Abbreviation
The usual way to write newton per square centimeter is:
- N/cm² which reads as newton per square centimeter
Some people may write it in slightly different ways, such as:
- N cm⁻²
- N per cm²
All of these mean a force measured in newtons divided by an area measured in square centimeters.
Current Use Around the World
Today, the pascal is the main official pressure unit. Still, newton per square centimeter is used in several areas because it gives easy to read values.
You may find N/cm² in:
- Engineering and mechanics, to show pressure in hydraulic and pneumatic systems.
- Material testing, to show how much pressure a material can handle before it breaks or changes shape.
- Laboratory work, when small devices or tools use areas measured in centimeters.
Different regions use different pressure units:
- Many countries use pascal, kilopascal and bar in industry and science.
- The United States often uses pounds per square inch, written psi, for things like car tire pressure.
- N/cm² is less common in everyday life but is still seen in technical papers, manuals and some older equipment.
Example Conversions
Here are some helpful conversion facts. These values are rounded to make them easier to remember.
- 1 N/cm² = 10,000 Pa
- 1 N/cm² = 10 kPa
- 1 N/cm² ≈ 0.1 bar
- 1 N/cm² ≈ 0.0987 atmosphere
- 1 N/cm² ≈ 1.45 psi
Converted the other way:
- 1 kPa = 0.1 N/cm²
- 1 bar = 10 N/cm²
- 1 atm ≈ 10.13 N/cm²
- 1 psi ≈ 0.689 N/cm²
Example situations:
- If a pressure is 3 N/cm², that is 3 × 10 kPa = 30 kPa.
- If a pressure is 50 kPa, that is 50 ÷ 10 = 5 N/cm².
- If a pressure is 2 N/cm², that is about 2 × 1.45 = 2.9 psi.
| Pressure | In N/cm² | In kPa | In psi |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low tire pressure | 14 N/cm² | 140 kPa | About 20 psi |
| Normal car tire | 21 N/cm² | 210 kPa | About 30 psi |
| Sea level air pressure | About 10.13 N/cm² | About 101.3 kPa | About 14.7 psi |
Related Units
Newton per square centimeter is just one way to measure pressure. Here are some closely related units and how they compare.
- Pascal (Pa) main SI unit of pressure
- 1 Pa = 1 N/m²
- 1 N/cm² = 10,000 Pa
- Kilopascal (kPa) 1,000 pascals
- 1 kPa = 1,000 Pa
- 1 N/cm² = 10 kPa
- Bar a common engineering unit
- 1 bar = 100,000 Pa
- 1 bar = 10 N/cm²
- Standard atmosphere (atm) based on average air pressure at sea level
- 1 atm ≈ 101,325 Pa
- 1 atm ≈ 10.13 N/cm²
- Pounds per square inch (psi) common in the United States
- 1 psi ≈ 6,895 Pa
- 1 N/cm² ≈ 1.45 psi
FAQs
What does 1 N/cm² actually mean in simple words
It means that a push of 1 newton is spread out over an area of 1 square centimeter. It is like pressing your finger on a very small square. The harder you press or the smaller the square, the bigger the pressure.
Is N/cm² an SI unit
No, it is not the main SI unit. It is a derived unit that uses SI units, newton for force and centimeter for length. The official SI pressure unit is the pascal, written Pa.
Why use N/cm² instead of pascal
In many real world problems, pascal values can be very large numbers. Using N/cm² or kPa can give smaller and easier to read numbers. For example, 10 N/cm² may feel clearer than 100,000 Pa.
How do I change N/cm² to kPa quickly
The rule is simple. Multiply by 10. So 4 N/cm² becomes 40 kPa. To go back, divide by 10. So 70 kPa becomes 7 N/cm².
How does N/cm² compare to psi
1 N/cm² is about 1.45 psi. To change N/cm² to psi, multiply by about 1.45. To change psi to N/cm², multiply by about 0.689.
Where would I see N/cm² in real life
You might see it in technical books, science labs, or engineering drawings. It can appear in information about hydraulic presses, testing machines, or devices that work with small areas measured in centimeters.
Is N/cm² the same as kg/cm²
No, they are different. N/cm² uses newtons, which are a force unit. kg/cm² uses kilograms force per square centimeter, which is based on weight under Earth gravity. They can be converted but are not equal.
