Conversion method
Dynamic viscosity measures resistance to shear flow. Kinematic viscosity requires division by density; cP and cSt are not interchangeable.
cP = x × 1000
10 Pa·s = 10000 cP.
| Pa·s | cP |
|---|---|
| 1 | 1000 |
| 5 | 5000 |
| 10 | 10000 |
| 25 | 25000 |
| 50 | 50000 |
| 100 | 100000 |
Unit definitions and sources
Dynamic viscosity measures resistance to shear flow. Kinematic viscosity requires division by density; cP and cSt are not interchangeable.
| Unit and system | Use | Definition | Relationship |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pascal second (Pa·s); si | Common units | Pascal second: base (pa-s) = value × 1. Common use: Dynamic Viscosity. Source checked 2026-09-20 (implementation review). | Exact definition; numerical display may be rounded |
| Centipoise (cP); si | Common units | Centipoise: base (pa-s) = value × 0.001. Common use: Dynamic Viscosity. Source checked 2026-09-20 (implementation review). | Exact definition; numerical display may be rounded |
| Poise (P); si | Specialist units | Poise: base (pa-s) = value × 0.1. Common use: Dynamic Viscosity. Source checked 2026-09-20 (implementation review). | Exact definition; numerical display may be rounded |
| Millipascal second (mPa·s); si | Specialist units | Millipascal second: base (pa-s) = value × 0.001. Common use: Dynamic Viscosity. Source checked 2026-09-20 (implementation review). | Exact definition; numerical display may be rounded |
| Pound per foot second (lb/(ft·s)); si | Specialist units | Pound per foot second: base (pa-s) = value × 1.4881639435695537. Common use: Dynamic Viscosity. Source checked 2026-09-20 (implementation review). | Exact definition; numerical display may be rounded |
| Kilogram-force second/square meter (kgf·s/(m²)); other | Specialist units | kilogram-force second/square meter = 9.80665 pa-s, derived from the component SI/customary definitions. Common use: Dynamic Viscosity. Source checked 2026-09-20 (implementation review). | Exact definition; numerical display may be rounded |
| Newton second/square meter (N·s/(m²)); other | Specialist units | newton second/square meter = 1.0 pa-s, derived from the component SI/customary definitions. Common use: Dynamic Viscosity. Source checked 2026-09-20 (implementation review). | Exact definition; numerical display may be rounded |
| Millinewton second/sq. meter (mN·s/(m²)); other | Specialist units | millinewton second/sq. meter = 0.001 pa-s, derived from the component SI/customary definitions. Common use: Dynamic Viscosity. Source checked 2026-09-20 (implementation review). | Exact definition; numerical display may be rounded |
| Dyne second/sq. centimeter (dyn·s/(cm²)); other | Specialist units | dyne second/sq. centimeter = 0.1 pa-s, derived from the component SI/customary definitions. Common use: Dynamic Viscosity. Source checked 2026-09-20 (implementation review). | Exact definition; numerical display may be rounded |
| Pound-force second/sq. inch (lbf·s/(in²)); other | Specialist units | pound-force second/sq. inch = 6894.757293168361 pa-s, derived from the component SI/customary definitions. Common use: Dynamic Viscosity. Source checked 2026-09-20 (implementation review). | Exact definition; numerical display may be rounded |
| Pound-force second/sq. foot (lbf·s/(ft²)); other | Specialist units | pound-force second/sq. foot = 47.88025898033584 pa-s, derived from the component SI/customary definitions. Common use: Dynamic Viscosity. Source checked 2026-09-20 (implementation review). | Exact definition; numerical display may be rounded |
| Gram/centimeter/second (g/(cm)/(s)); other | Specialist units | gram/centimeter/second = 0.1 pa-s, derived from the component SI/customary definitions. Common use: Dynamic Viscosity. Source checked 2026-09-20 (implementation review). | Exact definition; numerical display may be rounded |
| Pound/foot/hour (lb/(ft)/(h)); other | Specialist units | pound/foot/hour = 0.0004133788732137649 pa-s, derived from the component SI/customary definitions. Common use: Dynamic Viscosity. Source checked 2026-09-20 (implementation review). | Exact definition; numerical display may be rounded |
Sources: NIST: SP 811 Appendix B.8: conversion factors; BIPM: SI prefixes
Precision of dynamic viscosity conversions
All 13 dynamic viscosity units convert through Pascal second (Pa·s). 13 have an exact defined relationship to the base unit and 0 are conventional or measured values. Results and the tables on this page come from the same engine, so a table value can be checked against the converter directly.
Standard display shows up to six decimal places, switching to scientific notation for very large or small values. Calculation uses JavaScript binary floating point independently of display rounding, so extra digits are not a claim about measurement accuracy. Each unit lists its own source; a citation records where the definition comes from, not an independent review. See Conversion methodology for the review and correction process.