This page converts centimeters of water into kilogram-force per square centimeter using the factor 0.001, and shows the reverse figure alongside it. Both units measure pressure, which is why one number does the whole job.
Legacy metric engineering unit, still common in Asia. The unit ventilator and CPAP pressures are set in.
Gauge versus absolute. A tyre gauge reading 32 psi means 32 psi above atmospheric, which is about 46.7 psi absolute. Converting the number is straightforward; remembering which zero it was measured from is where the mistakes happen. N/mm² and MPa are the same size, so a drawing quoting either is quoting the same stress. Two tables follow: rounded steps for quick lookup, and a set of real reference quantities converted into kilogram-force per square centimeter, which is usually more useful than the bare number.
The formula
centimeters of water- The amount you are converting, in centimeters of water
0.001- The exact number of kilogram-force per square centimeter in one centimeter of water
kilogram-force per square centimeter- The converted result
How it works, step by step
- Enter the value in centimeters of water.
- It is multiplied by 0.001, the exact factor between the two units.
- The answer is shown in kilogram-force per square centimeter, with the reverse conversion beneath it.
- Check the reference table if you want a figure of comparable size.
Worked examples
A bicycle tyre: 6330 cmH₂O in kilogram-force per square centimeter
A bicycle tyre comes to about 6330 cmH₂O. Multiplying by the factor: 6330 × 0.001 = 6.33 kgf/cm². Dividing the answer back by 0.001 returns the figure you started with, which is the quickest way to check you have the factor the right way up.
Blood pressure, systolic: 163 cmH₂O in kilogram-force per square centimeter
Take blood pressure, systolic, roughly 163 cmH₂O. The conversion is a single multiplication — 163 × 0.001 — giving 0.163 kgf/cm². Because the relationship is proportional, doubling the input doubles the answer to 0.326 kgf/cm².
How to read your score
Frequently asked questions
How many kilogram-force per square centimeter are in one centimeter of water?
Exactly 0.001. Every figure on this page is that one number multiplied by your input, so the only rounding is at the display step.
What is the formula to convert centimeters of water to kilogram-force per square centimeter?
kilogram-force per square centimeter = centimeters of water × 0.001. Reversed, centimeters of water = kilogram-force per square centimeter ÷ 0.001, which is the same as multiplying by 1000.
Which is the bigger unit, the centimeter of water or the kilogram-force per square centimeter?
The kilogram-force per square centimeter. One centimeter of water is only 0.001 of a kilogram-force per square centimeter, so it takes 1000 centimeters of water to make one kilogram-force per square centimeter.
What does this quantity actually measure?
Both units measure pressure. That is why a single factor is enough: there is no temperature offset and no material property involved, unlike conversions that cross between different quantities.
What is a centimeter of water?
The unit ventilator and CPAP pressures are set in.
What is a kilogram-force per square centimeter?
Legacy metric engineering unit, still common in Asia.
Why does my answer differ from another converter?
Almost always because the other tool rounded the factor before multiplying. This page keeps full double precision through the calculation and rounds only for display, and it prints the factor it used so you can see where any difference came from.
Centimeters Of Water to kilogram-force per square centimeter reference tables
| Centimeters Of Water | Kilogram-Force Per Square Centimeter |
|---|---|
| 0.5 cmH₂O | 0.0005 kgf/cm² |
| 1 cmH₂O | 0.001 kgf/cm² |
| 2 cmH₂O | 0.002 kgf/cm² |
| 3 cmH₂O | 0.003 kgf/cm² |
| 5 cmH₂O | 0.005 kgf/cm² |
| 10 cmH₂O | 0.01 kgf/cm² |
| 20 cmH₂O | 0.02 kgf/cm² |
| 25 cmH₂O | 0.025 kgf/cm² |
| 50 cmH₂O | 0.05 kgf/cm² |
| 75 cmH₂O | 0.075 kgf/cm² |
| 100 cmH₂O | 0.1 kgf/cm² |
| 250 cmH₂O | 0.25 kgf/cm² |
| 500 cmH₂O | 0.5 kgf/cm² |
| 1000 cmH₂O | 1 kgf/cm² |
| 5000 cmH₂O | 5 kgf/cm² |
Exact factor: 1 centimeter of water = 0.001 kilogram-force per square centimeter.
| Quantity | cmH₂O | kgf/cm² |
|---|---|---|
| Sea-level air | 1033 cmH₂O | 1.033 kgf/cm² |
| A car tyre | 2250 cmH₂O | 2.25 kgf/cm² |
| Blood pressure, systolic | 163.1 cmH₂O | 0.1631 kgf/cm² |
| A bicycle tyre | 6328 cmH₂O | 6.328 kgf/cm² |
| A domestic water main | 4079 cmH₂O | 4.079 kgf/cm² |
| A steam boiler | 1.02e+04 cmH₂O | 10.2 kgf/cm² |
Published reference values, converted with the same factor this page uses.