What this converter does
This converter turns dynamic viscosity between pascal-seconds, centipoise, millipascal-seconds and poise — instantly and with exact factors. Since one Pa·s is 1000 cP, this is handy for reading SI data back into the everyday centipoise scale. Type a value and read the answer as you type.
These are all dynamic (absolute) viscosity units. Kinematic units like centistokes need the fluid’s density to relate, so they are a separate quantity — see NIST SP 811 for the definitions.
The units it covers
Every unit is dynamic viscosity, so each converts through the pascal-second with a fixed ratio.
View all units & their values
| Unit | Symbol | Value | Mainly used |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pascal-second | Pa·s | 1 | SI unit of dynamic viscosity |
| Centipoise | cP | 0.001 | Everyday fluids (water ≈ 1 cP) |
| Millipascal-second | mPa·s | 0.001 | SI equivalent of the centipoise |
| Poise | P | 0.1 | CGS unit, older references |
The formula
Each unit has a fixed value in pascal-seconds, so any conversion goes through it once:
result = value × factor_from ÷ factor_toWhere:
- value = the number you typed, in the “from” unit
- factor_from = the “from” unit’s value in pascal-seconds
- factor_to = the “to” unit’s value in pascal-seconds
Worked example
Convert 0.5 Pa·s to centipoise.
1 cP = 0.001 Pa·s0.5 ÷ 0.001 = 500 cPSo 0.5 Pa·s is 500 cP — a light oil. Note 1 cP = 1 mPa·s exactly.
The units in this example
The SI unit of dynamic viscosity — one pascal of shear stress per unit velocity gradient. Large for everyday fluids, so cP is used more often.
- 1 Pa·s = 1,000 cP
- 1 Pa·s = 1,000 mPa·s
- 1 Pa·s = 10 poise
- honey ≈ 10 Pa·s
The most common practical unit of dynamic viscosity. Water at 20 °C is close to 1 cP, so the number reads intuitively for everyday fluids.
- 1 cP = 0.001 Pa·s
- 1 cP = 1 mPa·s
- 1 cP = 0.01 poise
- water ≈ 1 cP at 20 °C