In vacuum technology and industrial process engineering, pressure measurement is critical for system integrity. The Torr is a non-SI unit of pressure, defined as exactly \(1/760\) of a standard atmosphere. It is named after Evangelista Torricelli and is widely used in high-vacuum applications, such as thin-film deposition and mass spectrometry.
The Megapascal (MPa) is the SI-derived unit of pressure, where \(1\text{ MPa} = 10^6\text{ Pa}\). It is the standard unit for structural engineering, hydraulic systems, and high-pressure gas storage. Converting between these units is essential when interfacing vacuum-rated components with high-pressure supply lines.
Torr: Common in laboratory vacuum systems and semiconductor manufacturing.
MPa: Standard in mechanical engineering, material stress testing, and industrial fluid power.
Torr to Megapascal Conversion Reference Table
Torr (Torr)
Megapascal (MPa)
0.1
1.3332e-05
0.5
6.6661e-05
1.0
1.3332e-04
2.0
2.6664e-04
5.0
6.6661e-04
10.0
0.0013
20.0
0.0027
50.0
0.0067
100.0
0.0133
500.0
0.0667
1000.0
0.1333
Conversion Example: 10 Torr to MPa
To convert pressure from Torr to Megapascals, multiply the value in Torr by the conversion factor \(0.00013332239999999998\).
Despite the shift toward SI units, the Torr remains standard in vacuum science because it correlates directly to the height of a mercury column in millimeters, which was historically the primary method for measuring vacuum levels.
The factor 0.00013332239999999998 is derived from the definition of 1 atmosphere (101,325 Pa) divided by 760. It provides high-precision results suitable for most industrial and scientific calculations.
"On fait la science avec des faits, comme on fait une maison avec des pierres ; mais une accumulation de faits n'est pas plus une science qu'un tas de pierres n'est une maison." "Science is built up of facts, as a house is built of stones; but an accumulation of facts is no more a science than a heap of stones is a house." — Henri Poincaré (French Mathematician, Theoretical Physicist & Mining Engineer)