How many pascal-seconds are in one poise?

1 P = 0.1 Pa·s exactly. Equivalently, 1 Pa·s = 10 P. This follows from the CGS-to-SI base-unit relationships: 1 P = 1 g/(cm·s) = 0.1 kg/(m·s) = 0.1 Pa·s.

What is the relationship between centipoise (cP) and Pa·s?

1 cP = 0.001 Pa·s = 1 mPa·s. Water at 20 °C has a viscosity of approximately 1 cP (1 mPa·s), which makes centipoise a convenient unit for many aqueous systems.

Why is poise still used if Pa·s is the SI unit?

Poise and centipoise survived in chemistry, food science, and pharma because large bodies of historical data, instruments, and published standards predate SI adoption. Many viscometers still report in cP by default.

What is the viscosity of water in poise?

Water at 20 °C has a dynamic viscosity of approximately 0.01 P (1 cP), which equals 0.001 Pa·s (1 mPa·s).

What is the difference between dynamic and kinematic viscosity?

Dynamic viscosity (Pa·s or poise) measures resistance to shear stress and is independent of density. Kinematic viscosity (m²/s or stokes) equals dynamic viscosity divided by fluid density, used when gravitational or inertial effects matter.

Poise to Pascal-Second Converter

Convert dynamic viscosity from poise (P) to pascal-second (Pa·s). 1 P = 0.1 Pa·s exactly. Also shows millipascal-seconds and centipoise.

Enter a Value in Poise

Poise (P)

Pascal-seconds (Pa·s) —

Millipascal-seconds (mPa·s) —

Centipoise (cP) —

1 P = 0.1 Pa·s · 1 P = 100 cP · 1 P = 100 mPa·s

Common Fluid Viscosities

Click a row to load its poise value into the converter.

Fluid	P	Pa·s

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Summary

The poise (P) is the CGS unit of dynamic viscosity, while the pascal-second (Pa·s) is the SI unit. The conversion is exact: 1 P = 0.1 Pa·s. Because many lab instruments and legacy data sheets report viscosity in poise or centipoise (cP), this converter lets you move to SI units in one step, and also shows the result in millipascal-seconds (mPa·s) since 1 mPa·s = 1 cP is a common reference point.

How it works

Enter a viscosity value in poise (P) in the input field.
The Pa·s, mPa·s, and cP results update instantly as you type.
Use the reference table to load a common fluid value with one click.
Click "Copy Pa·s Result" to copy the primary converted value to your clipboard.
Enter a negative or non-numeric value to see the inline error — only non-negative numbers are accepted.

Use cases

Convert viscosity readings from CGS lab reports (poise) to SI units (Pa·s) for engineering calculations.
Translate legacy polymer data sheets that list viscosity in poise into Pa·s for simulation software.
Cross-check oil or coating viscosity specs when switching from CGS to SI measurement systems.
Verify viscosity inputs for CFD software packages that require Pa·s or mPa·s.
Compare fluid viscosities in cosmetics or pharmaceutical formulation when sources use mixed unit systems.
Teach dynamic viscosity unit conversion in fluid mechanics or chemical engineering courses.

Frequently Asked Questions

Last updated: 2026-07-14 · Reviewed by Nham Vu