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Viscosity - Dynamic Converter

Convert between dynamic (absolute) viscosity units — pascal seconds, poise, centipoise (the water-at-room-temperature reference unit), and more.

Results from this calculator are estimates provided for general informational purposes only, based on formulas, rates, and standards commonly accepted as of 2026. Figures may differ slightly from other calculators or professional sources due to rounding methods, differing assumptions, or regional regulations, and rules may change over time. Always consult a qualified professional — such as a financial advisor, healthcare provider, or other relevant specialist — before making decisions based on these results.

The numeric value you want to convert. Decimals are accepted.

Result

1 Pa·s = 1000 cP

1 Pascal Second = 1000 Centipoises

1 Centipoise = 0.001 Pascal Seconds

1 Pa·s in every supported unit

What is a Viscosity - Dynamic Converter?

Dynamic (absolute) viscosity measures a fluid's internal resistance to shear, or flow — the "thickness" you feel in your hand when you stir honey compared to water. Formally, it's the ratio of shear stress to the rate at which adjacent layers of fluid slide past one another. Thicker, more resistant fluids have a higher dynamic viscosity; thinner, freer-flowing fluids have a lower one.

This value is essential wherever a fluid has to move through, over, or around something. Engine and hydraulic oils are graded by dynamic viscosity to guarantee they'll lubricate and flow correctly across a working temperature range; food and cosmetics manufacturers control it to hit a target texture and mouthfeel; and pipeline engineers use it to size pumps and predict pressure drop over long distances. Because different industries settled on different unit systems — SI pascal seconds, CGS poise/centipoise, and US customary pound-force-based units — this converter lets you move freely between all of them.

Conversion chart: Pascal Second to Centipoises

Conversion table

Pascal Second (Pa·s) Centipoise (cP)
0.01 Pa·s 10 cP
0.1 Pa·s 100 cP
1 Pa·s 1000 cP
2 Pa·s 2000 cP
3 Pa·s 3000 cP
5 Pa·s 5000 cP
10 Pa·s 10000 cP
20 Pa·s 20000 cP
50 Pa·s 50000 cP
100 Pa·s 100000 cP
1000 Pa·s 1000000 cP

Supported Units

Unit Symbol In Pa·s
Pascal Second Pa·s 1 Pa·s
Newton Second per Square Meter N·s/m² 1 Pa·s
Millinewton Second per Square Meter mN·s/m² 0.001 Pa·s
Kilogram-force Second per Square Meter kgf·s/m² 9.80665 Pa·s
Poise P 0.1 Pa·s
Centipoise cP 0.001 Pa·s
Millipoise mP 0.0001 Pa·s
Kilopoise kP 100 Pa·s
Dyne Second per Square Centimeter dyn·s/cm² 0.1 Pa·s
Gram per Centimeter per Second g/(cm·s) 0.1 Pa·s
Pound-force Second per Square Inch lbf·s/in² 6894.7573 Pa·s
Pound-force Second per Square Foot lbf·s/ft² 47.880259 Pa·s
Poundal Second per Square Foot pdl·s/ft² 1.4881639 Pa·s
Pound per Foot per Second lb/(ft·s) 1.4881639 Pa·s
Pound per Foot per Hour lb/(ft·h) 0.0004133789 Pa·s

About These Parameters

Value
The dynamic viscosity value you want to convert, expressed in the "From" unit. Accepts decimals.
From Unit
The unit your input value is currently measured in — a viscometer's centipoise reading, or an engineering spec's Pa·s.
To Unit
The unit you want the result converted into. Use the swap button to flip From and To instantly.

How Viscosity - Dynamic Conversion Works

The Formula

Every unit here is defined by a fixed multiplier relative to the pascal second. To convert a value from one unit to another:

result = value × (factor of "From" unit ÷ factor of "To" unit)

For Pascal Second → Centipoise: multiply by 1000. For example, 1 Pa·s × 1000 = 1000 cP.

Dynamic Viscosity vs. Kinematic Viscosity

This page converts DYNAMIC (absolute) viscosity — the pure resistance-to-shear property of a fluid, independent of how heavy that fluid is. The site's separate Viscosity - Kinematic Converter covers a related but different quantity: kinematic viscosity equals dynamic viscosity divided by the fluid's density. Because that division depends on a specific fluid's density at a specific temperature, there is no fixed multiplier that converts a dynamic-viscosity unit directly into a kinematic-viscosity unit the way this page converts between, say, pascal seconds and poise — you need to know the fluid's density first.

Poise and Centipoise

Although the pascal second is the modern SI unit, the CGS-era poise and, especially, the centipoise remain the units most commonly quoted in industry and on viscometer readouts. Water at room temperature (about 20°C) has a dynamic viscosity of almost exactly 1 centipoise, which makes it a convenient mental reference point: a fluid rated at 10 cP is roughly ten times "thicker" than water, one rated at 100,000 cP behaves more like honey or ketchup.

Example

A dynamic viscosity of 1 Pa·s equals 1000 cP. For scale, water at room temperature is about 1 cP (0.001 Pa·s), typical motor oil at operating temperature runs from roughly 50 to 300 cP, and honey can measure anywhere from 2,000 to 10,000 cP depending on temperature and water content.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is dynamic viscosity?

Dynamic (absolute) viscosity is a measure of a fluid's resistance to shear or flow — how much internal friction it has as one layer of fluid slides past another. It's what makes honey pour slower than water, and it's typically measured with a viscometer in units like pascal seconds or centipoise.

How is dynamic viscosity different from kinematic viscosity?

Dynamic viscosity measures pure resistance to shear. Kinematic viscosity is dynamic viscosity divided by the fluid's density, and is used mainly in flow calculations where gravity and inertia matter (e.g. how a fluid drains under its own weight). Converting between the two requires knowing the specific fluid's density, so this page and the site's Viscosity - Kinematic Converter are kept separate.

Why is centipoise still used instead of the SI pascal second?

Centipoise predates the pascal second and happens to land on convenient, easy-to-read numbers for common fluids — water is about 1 cP, light oils are tens of cP, heavy syrups are thousands of cP — so most viscometers, product data sheets, and industry standards continued reporting in cP even after SI officially adopted the pascal second.

How accurate are these conversions?

Every conversion factor used here is the exact, internationally recognized relationship between the underlying force, time, and area units — results are limited only by floating-point display precision, not by rounded conversion constants.

Possible Dynamic Viscosity Conversions

Poundal Second per Square Foot to Pound-force Seconds per Square Inch Kilogram-force Second per Square Meter to Dyne Seconds per Square Centimeter Gram per Centimeter per Second to Poises Pound-force Second per Square Inch to Pound-force Seconds per Square Foot Dyne Second per Square Centimeter to Pounds per Foot per Hour Millipoise to Millinewton Seconds per Square Meter Pound-force Second per Square Foot to Newton Seconds per Square Meter Poundal Second per Square Foot to Pound-force Seconds per Square Foot Kilogram-force Second per Square Meter to Centipoises Dyne Second per Square Centimeter to Newton Seconds per Square Meter Millipoise to Pounds per Foot per Hour Pound-force Second per Square Inch to Poundal Seconds per Square Foot Poise to Newton Seconds per Square Meter Pound-force Second per Square Foot to Pound-force Seconds per Square Inch Millipoise to Kilogram-force Seconds per Square Meter Pascal Second to Newton Seconds per Square Meter Pascal Second to Centipoises Kilogram-force Second per Square Meter to Pound-force Seconds per Square Foot Newton Second per Square Meter to Pascal Seconds Millipoise to Pound-force Seconds per Square Foot Millipoise to Poundal Seconds per Square Foot Pascal Second to Millipoises Centipoise to Newton Seconds per Square Meter Pascal Second to Pounds per Foot per Second Newton Second per Square Meter to Poundal Seconds per Square Foot Pound per Foot per Second to Millipoises Dyne Second per Square Centimeter to Pound-force Seconds per Square Foot Millinewton Second per Square Meter to Pascal Seconds Newton Second per Square Meter to Grams per Centimeter per Second Pound-force Second per Square Foot to Poises Centipoise to Pascal Seconds Dyne Second per Square Centimeter to Pascal Seconds Millipoise to Newton Seconds per Square Meter Pound per Foot per Second to Poises Pound per Foot per Hour to Newton Seconds per Square Meter Gram per Centimeter per Second to Pounds per Foot per Second Millinewton Second per Square Meter to Dyne Seconds per Square Centimeter Kilogram-force Second per Square Meter to Poundal Seconds per Square Foot Millinewton Second per Square Meter to Centipoises Pound-force Second per Square Inch to Centipoises Millipoise to Poises Gram per Centimeter per Second to Kilopoises Pascal Second to Kilopoises Kilopoise to Pound-force Seconds per Square Inch Millipoise to Grams per Centimeter per Second Gram per Centimeter per Second to Poundal Seconds per Square Foot Pound per Foot per Second to Pound-force Seconds per Square Foot Kilogram-force Second per Square Meter to Pascal Seconds Newton Second per Square Meter to Poises Poundal Second per Square Foot to Millipoises Kilopoise to Pascal Seconds Dyne Second per Square Centimeter to Pounds per Foot per Second Newton Second per Square Meter to Pound-force Seconds per Square Inch Kilopoise to Pound-force Seconds per Square Foot Poise to Pascal Seconds Kilopoise to Pounds per Foot per Hour Pound-force Second per Square Inch to Pounds per Foot per Second Pound-force Second per Square Foot to Kilopoises Pound per Foot per Hour to Kilogram-force Seconds per Square Meter Pound-force Second per Square Foot to Dyne Seconds per Square Centimeter Pound-force Second per Square Inch to Grams per Centimeter per Second Poundal Second per Square Foot to Grams per Centimeter per Second Poise to Pound-force Seconds per Square Inch Millinewton Second per Square Meter to Pounds per Foot per Hour Pascal Second to Poundal Seconds per Square Foot Poise to Kilogram-force Seconds per Square Meter Kilopoise to Centipoises Pound per Foot per Hour to Poundal Seconds per Square Foot Kilopoise to Kilogram-force Seconds per Square Meter Millinewton Second per Square Meter to Kilogram-force Seconds per Square Meter Kilopoise to Millipoises Poundal Second per Square Foot to Millinewton Seconds per Square Meter Gram per Centimeter per Second to Newton Seconds per Square Meter Gram per Centimeter per Second to Millinewton Seconds per Square Meter Pound per Foot per Hour to Pounds per Foot per Second Pascal Second to Dyne Seconds per Square Centimeter Pascal Second to Millinewton Seconds per Square Meter Gram per Centimeter per Second to Centipoises Newton Second per Square Meter to Dyne Seconds per Square Centimeter Newton Second per Square Meter to Pounds per Foot per Hour Kilogram-force Second per Square Meter to Newton Seconds per Square Meter Kilogram-force Second per Square Meter to Kilopoises Newton Second per Square Meter to Centipoises Pound per Foot per Second to Kilogram-force Seconds per Square Meter Poundal Second per Square Foot to Newton Seconds per Square Meter Pound-force Second per Square Foot to Millinewton Seconds per Square Meter Poise to Pounds per Foot per Hour Pound-force Second per Square Foot to Poundal Seconds per Square Foot Kilogram-force Second per Square Meter to Grams per Centimeter per Second Dyne Second per Square Centimeter to Poises Centipoise to Millipoises Centipoise to Pound-force Seconds per Square Foot Poise to Millinewton Seconds per Square Meter Pound-force Second per Square Inch to Millinewton Seconds per Square Meter Pound per Foot per Second to Dyne Seconds per Square Centimeter Dyne Second per Square Centimeter to Millipoises Dyne Second per Square Centimeter to Kilogram-force Seconds per Square Meter Kilopoise to Poundal Seconds per Square Foot Poise to Poundal Seconds per Square Foot Newton Second per Square Meter to Millinewton Seconds per Square Meter Pound-force Second per Square Inch to Kilopoises Pound-force Second per Square Foot to Pascal Seconds Millinewton Second per Square Meter to Poundal Seconds per Square Foot Pound per Foot per Hour to Poises Kilopoise to Dyne Seconds per Square Centimeter Centipoise to Pound-force Seconds per Square Inch Pascal Second to Pounds per Foot per Hour Pound-force Second per Square Foot to Kilogram-force Seconds per Square Meter Pound-force Second per Square Foot to Grams per Centimeter per Second Pound per Foot per Hour to Pascal Seconds Pascal Second to Kilogram-force Seconds per Square Meter Pound per Foot per Second to Kilopoises Poise to Kilopoises Kilopoise to Millinewton Seconds per Square Meter Millinewton Second per Square Meter to Pound-force Seconds per Square Foot Pound per Foot per Hour to Dyne Seconds per Square Centimeter Pascal Second to Poises Millipoise to Pound-force Seconds per Square Inch Pound per Foot per Hour to Pound-force Seconds per Square Foot Newton Second per Square Meter to Pound-force Seconds per Square Foot Poise to Pounds per Foot per Second Pound-force Second per Square Inch to Millipoises Dyne Second per Square Centimeter to Centipoises Centipoise to Grams per Centimeter per Second Poundal Second per Square Foot to Kilopoises Pound per Foot per Second to Pounds per Foot per Hour Poundal Second per Square Foot to Pounds per Foot per Second Pound per Foot per Hour to Kilopoises Pound-force Second per Square Foot to Pounds per Foot per Second Pound per Foot per Second to Pound-force Seconds per Square Inch Millipoise to Centipoises Poise to Dyne Seconds per Square Centimeter Pound per Foot per Second to Millinewton Seconds per Square Meter Gram per Centimeter per Second to Millipoises Centipoise to Kilopoises Pound per Foot per Hour to Centipoises Centipoise to Dyne Seconds per Square Centimeter Kilogram-force Second per Square Meter to Pounds per Foot per Second Pound-force Second per Square Inch to Pounds per Foot per Hour Newton Second per Square Meter to Kilopoises Gram per Centimeter per Second to Pound-force Seconds per Square Inch Pound per Foot per Second to Centipoises Kilopoise to Newton Seconds per Square Meter Pound per Foot per Hour to Pound-force Seconds per Square Inch Pascal Second to Grams per Centimeter per Second Pascal Second to Pound-force Seconds per Square Foot Centipoise to Poises Dyne Second per Square Centimeter to Poundal Seconds per Square Foot Poise to Millipoises Pound-force Second per Square Inch to Newton Seconds per Square Meter Dyne Second per Square Centimeter to Millinewton Seconds per Square Meter Millipoise to Pounds per Foot per Second Millinewton Second per Square Meter to Millipoises Centipoise to Millinewton Seconds per Square Meter Pound per Foot per Hour to Millipoises Newton Second per Square Meter to Millipoises Pound-force Second per Square Inch to Kilogram-force Seconds per Square Meter Dyne Second per Square Centimeter to Grams per Centimeter per Second Kilopoise to Grams per Centimeter per Second Pound per Foot per Hour to Grams per Centimeter per Second Gram per Centimeter per Second to Pounds per Foot per Hour Poundal Second per Square Foot to Dyne Seconds per Square Centimeter Millinewton Second per Square Meter to Pound-force Seconds per Square Inch Gram per Centimeter per Second to Kilogram-force Seconds per Square Meter Centipoise to Kilogram-force Seconds per Square Meter Centipoise to Poundal Seconds per Square Foot Millinewton Second per Square Meter to Newton Seconds per Square Meter Newton Second per Square Meter to Pounds per Foot per Second Millipoise to Pascal Seconds Poundal Second per Square Foot to Pounds per Foot per Hour Poundal Second per Square Foot to Centipoises Gram per Centimeter per Second to Dyne Seconds per Square Centimeter Kilogram-force Second per Square Meter to Poises Pound-force Second per Square Foot to Millipoises Kilogram-force Second per Square Meter to Millipoises Dyne Second per Square Centimeter to Pound-force Seconds per Square Inch Millipoise to Dyne Seconds per Square Centimeter Poise to Pound-force Seconds per Square Foot Kilogram-force Second per Square Meter to Pound-force Seconds per Square Inch Kilopoise to Pounds per Foot per Second Centipoise to Pounds per Foot per Second Pound-force Second per Square Inch to Pascal Seconds Kilopoise to Poises Pascal Second to Pound-force Seconds per Square Inch Millinewton Second per Square Meter to Pounds per Foot per Second Pound-force Second per Square Foot to Pounds per Foot per Hour Centipoise to Pounds per Foot per Hour Poundal Second per Square Foot to Poises Poundal Second per Square Foot to Pascal Seconds Millinewton Second per Square Meter to Grams per Centimeter per Second Millinewton Second per Square Meter to Poises Millinewton Second per Square Meter to Kilopoises Kilogram-force Second per Square Meter to Pounds per Foot per Hour Pound-force Second per Square Foot to Centipoises Poundal Second per Square Foot to Kilogram-force Seconds per Square Meter Pound per Foot per Second to Pascal Seconds Pound-force Second per Square Inch to Dyne Seconds per Square Centimeter Pound per Foot per Hour to Millinewton Seconds per Square Meter Pound per Foot per Second to Newton Seconds per Square Meter Poise to Centipoises Gram per Centimeter per Second to Pascal Seconds Pound-force Second per Square Inch to Poises Pound per Foot per Second to Poundal Seconds per Square Foot Pound per Foot per Second to Grams per Centimeter per Second Newton Second per Square Meter to Kilogram-force Seconds per Square Meter Dyne Second per Square Centimeter to Kilopoises Kilogram-force Second per Square Meter to Millinewton Seconds per Square Meter Gram per Centimeter per Second to Pound-force Seconds per Square Foot Millipoise to Kilopoises Poise to Grams per Centimeter per Second

See also