Convert kinematic viscosity units — m²/s, Stokes, centistokes, ft²/s and more.
| Unit | Name | Value |
|---|---|---|
| cm²/s | Square Centimeter/Second | 10000 |
| St | Stokes | 10000 |
| cSt | Centistokes | 1000000 |
| ft²/s | Square Foot/Second | 10.763915 |
| in²/s | Square Inch/Second | 1550.0031 |
Formula: ft²/s = m²/s × 10.76
Multiply any m²/s value by 10.76 to get ft²/s.
Reverse: m²/s = ft²/s × 0.0929
Water reference (20°C): 1.0040e-6 m²/s = 1.0807e-5 ft²/s
Values at ~20°C unless noted. Factor: 1 m²/s = 10.76 ft²/s
| m²/s (m²/s) | ft²/s (ft²/s) | Fluid |
|---|---|---|
| 1.500e-08 m²/s | 1.615e-07 ft²/s | Air (20°C) |
| 5.000e-07 m²/s | 5.382e-06 ft²/s | Petrol (gasoline) |
| 1.004e-06 m²/s | 1.081e-05 ft²/s | Water (20°C) |
| 1.500e-06 m²/s | 1.615e-05 ft²/s | Ethanol |
| 3.000e-06 m²/s | 3.229e-05 ft²/s | Diesel fuel |
| 3.500e-05 m²/s | 0.0003767 ft²/s | SAE 10W motor oil |
| 8.400e-05 m²/s | 0.0009042 ft²/s | Olive oil |
| 1.000e-04 m²/s | 0.001076 ft²/s | SAE 30 motor oil |
| 0.00018 m²/s | 0.001938 ft²/s | SAE 90 gear oil |
| 0.00141 m²/s | 0.01518 ft²/s | Glycerin (20°C) |
| 0.005 m²/s | 0.05382 ft²/s | Honey |
| 0.008 m²/s | 0.08611 ft²/s | Molasses |
| 0.05 m²/s | 0.5382 ft²/s | Tomato ketchup |
| 0.25 m²/s | 2.691 ft²/s | Peanut butter |
| 1.000e+15 m²/s | 1.076e+16 ft²/s | Glass (room temp) |
1 m²/s = 10.76 ft²/s.
Water at 20°C = 1 cSt = 0.01 St = 10⁻⁶ m²/s. Use as reference.
Multiply result by 0.0929 to recover the original m²/s value.
Specifies lubricant viscosity grades in cSt at 40°C and 100°C per ISO VG and SAE standards.
Uses kinematic viscosity in cSt for pipeline flow calculations, pump sizing, and heat exchanger design.
Measures crude oil and refined product viscosity in cSt for pipeline transport and refinery design.
Selects hydraulic fluids based on kinematic viscosity in cSt for pump compatibility and system efficiency.
Characterizes food product viscosity (honey, sauces, oils) in cSt for process design and quality control.
Uses ft²/s or cSt for atmospheric kinematic viscosity in Reynolds number calculations for aircraft design.
Square meter per second (m²/s) is the SI unit of kinematic viscosity, defined as dynamic viscosity divided by fluid density. It measures how easily a fluid flows under gravity relative to its own inertia. The unit was formalized with SI in 1960.
m²/s values are very small for most fluids: water at 20°C ≈ 1×10⁻⁶ m²/s; air ≈ 1.5×10⁻⁵ m²/s; SAE 30 motor oil ≈ 1×10⁻⁴ m²/s. The large exponents make m²/s impractical for everyday use, which is why cSt and St are more common.
Interesting fact: Kinematic viscosity is the ratio ν = μ/ρ (dynamic viscosity ÷ density). A very viscous but dense fluid can have lower kinematic viscosity than a less viscous but very light fluid — which is why kinematic viscosity (not dynamic) governs flow by gravity.
Square foot per second (ft²/s) is the Imperial kinematic viscosity unit, equal to 0.0929 m²/s = 929 St. It is used in US aerospace and some civil engineering contexts where the foot-pound-second system is standard.
ft²/s appears in some US military fluid specifications and older aerospace engineering handbooks. Water at 20°C ≈ 1.075×10⁻⁵ ft²/s. Air ≈ 1.57×10⁻⁴ ft²/s. The large scaling factor (1 ft²/s = 929 St) makes it impractical for most engineering use.
Interesting fact: The kinematic viscosity of the atmosphere at different altitudes is important for aircraft design — Reynolds number calculations use kinematic viscosity. The US Standard Atmosphere tables list kinematic viscosity in ft²/s at each altitude for use in US aerospace engineering.
Kinematic viscosity (ν = μ/ρ) measures how a fluid flows under gravity. The cSt is dominant in industry; m²/s is the SI unit; St and cm²/s are the CGS equivalents. Key anchor: water at 20°C ≈ 1 cSt = 10⁻⁶ m²/s = 0.01 St.
Exact factor: 1 m²/s = 10.76 ft²/s. Reverse: 1 ft²/s = 0.0929 m²/s.
All conversions use IEEE 754 double-precision arithmetic, accurate to at least 8 significant figures.