What this converter does
This converter turns dynamic viscosity between centipoise, millipascal-seconds, poise and pascal-seconds — instantly and with exact factors. Water at 20 °C is almost exactly 1 cP, which makes it an easy reference point. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Pascal-second | Pa·s | 1 | SI unit of dynamic viscosity |
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 500 cP to pascal-seconds.
1 cP = 0.001 Pa·s500 × 0.001 = 0.5 Pa·sSo 500 cP (a light oil) is 0.5 Pa·s. Note 1 cP = 1 mPa·s exactly.
The units in this example
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
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