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Dynamic viscosity — a fluid's resistance to flow under an applied force — is measured in Pascal-seconds in the SI system, but centipoise remains extremely common in engineering and food science, since water's viscosity conveniently works out to almost exactly 1 centipoise. This calculator converts between Pascal-seconds, poise, centipoise, and millipascal-seconds.
Centipoise and millipascal-second are actually numerically identical (1 cP = 1 mPa·s), which is why both appear interchangeably on many product datasheets.
How it works
Enter a value, choose the unit you're converting from and to, and the calculator applies the standard conversion factor between Pascal-seconds, poise, centipoise, and millipascal-seconds.
- Enter value.
- Enter from.
- Enter to.
- Click Calculate to see your results.
Examples
Comparing to water's viscosity
Water's viscosity of about 1 centipoise converts to 0.001 Pascal-seconds, the SI-standard way engineering specs typically express it.
A viscous oil specification
An oil rated at 5 poise converts to 500 centipoise, useful when comparing against a datasheet using the finer-grained unit.
Who should use it
- Converting a fluid's viscosity spec between poise-based and Pascal-second-based systems.
- Comparing product datasheets that use different viscosity unit conventions.
Industry applications
- Chemical and mechanical engineering
- Food science and cosmetics formulation
Advantages
- Covers both SI (Pascal-second) and CGS (poise) systems plus common sub-units.
- Shows the exact conversion factor used, not just the final answer.
- No account, subscription or watermark.
Limitations
- Covers dynamic viscosity only — for kinematic viscosity (which accounts for density), use the dedicated Kinematic Viscosity Converter instead.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Confusing dynamic viscosity with kinematic viscosity, which is a related but distinct quantity (dynamic viscosity divided by density).
- Mixing up poise and centipoise, which differ by a factor of 100.
Best practices
- Use centipoise for everyday fluids, since it keeps most common values in an easy-to-read range.
- Confirm whether a datasheet is reporting dynamic or kinematic viscosity before converting, since they aren't interchangeable.
Tips
- Remember that centipoise and millipascal-second are numerically identical for quick mental conversion.
- Always confirm whether a value is dynamic or kinematic viscosity before converting or comparing.