Pounds per Square Inch Calculator
The pounds per square inch calculator is designed to help you calculate the pressure in pounds per square inch (psi). If you are searching for an easy and precise tool to calculate psi, you are in the right place.
Stay with us along with this article, where we will show you in detail the following subjects:
- What is pounds per square inch? How to calculate psi.
- Pounds per square inch calculator — Calibrating the tire pressure.
- The correct calibration using pound-force per square inch.
- What does psi stand for?
- How much psi should a tire have?
- How can I calculate the pound-force knowing the pressure?
- How much psi is 1 bar?
Let us show you the concepts behind calibrating the tire pressure in psi.
🙋 Are you looking for other tools related to psi? Then, check out our psi converter and pressure converter.
What is pounds per square inch? How to calculate psi
Along with this section, we are going to guide you through the psi definition. As you probably realized, psi is an acronym for Pounds per Square Inch (or more precisely, pound-force per square inch), representing a unit of pressure in the Imperial units system, which became very popular even in countries that adopt SI units.
Since psi is a unit of pressure, it is defined as force per unit of area. Therefore, the pressure will increase if the force increases or if the area decreases. This dynamic is an effect that we can observe by pushing a needle and a coin with the same force against a potato. You can see that the needle pierces the potato, while the coin does not. This result happens because the coin has a bigger area than the needle, so it exerts a lower pressure on the potato's surface.
Based on the previous concept, we can write the psi equation as:
where:
- — Pressure in pounds per square inch;
- — Force in (pound-force);
- — Length in inches; and
- — Width in inches.
You can switch between different units by ticking the checkbox, and the calculator works in both directions. Let's use this equation to calculate psi with our calculator.
Pounds per square inch calculator — Calibrating the tire pressure
You will see how our pounds per square inch calculator is intuitive and straightforward to use. You simply need to provide the necessary data, and the tool will instantly inform you of the pressure in psi.
Suppose you have a small trailer and want to know the proper pressure to calibrate each tire. Consider the following data:
- — Pound-force over each tire;
- — Length of the contact surface between the tire and the road; and
- — Width of the contact surface between the tire and the road.
By substituting these data in our tool, you will find that , as the necessary tire pressure.
The correct calibration using pound-force per square inch
You should know that it is important to properly calibrate the tires of your car, motorcycle, or bicycle. The correct calibration will allow you to move with comfort and stability, and will increase the tire's performance and durability over time. Moreover, you can also save fuel in the case of automotive vehicles.
The proper calibration is not only relevant for tire pressure, but also for sports such as soccer, football, rugby, or basketball. A ball with the correct amount of psi allows for a fair game and has greater durability. We present below a table where you can find the proper values of calibration for different objects in psi:
Object | Pressure (psi) |
|---|---|
Car tires | 30-35 |
Bike tires road | 80-130 |
Bike tires hybrid/commuter | 50-70 |
Bike tires MTB/Gravel | 30-50 |
Motorcycle tires | Front: 32-36 / Rear: 36-42 |
Airplane tire | 200-220 |
Soccer ball | 8.7-10 |
Basketball | 7.5-8.5 |
Football | 12.5-13.5 |
Rugby ball | 9.5-10.0 |
🙋 You can learn more about pressure and other popular units by accessing our pressure calculator and bar to psi converter.
FAQs
What does psi stand for?
psi is a unit of pressure, meaning pounds-force per square inch. As the name says, it represents a ratio between force (in pound-force) per area (in square inches). This unit is very popular in countries that use the imperial units system, such as the United States and the UK. It is also very popular in the automotive industry; therefore, it is mainly adopted in manometers and vehicle manuals.
How much psi should a tire have?
The answer to this question depends on the type of tire. If you are referring to a passenger car, the amount of psi varies between 30-35 psi. However, vehicles like SUVs or sports cars may have different standard values. You can verify the proper calibration value by checking the tag placed at the driver's door. If you are looking for the pressure of an airplane tire, then the values are between 200-220 psi.
How can I calculate the pound-force knowing the pressure?
You can make this calculation using the definition of psi and the following procedures:
-
Take the equation for psi:
psi = Force [pound-force] / Area [sq inches]
-
Multiply the pressure by the area (in square inches):
Force = psi × Area
-
That's it! You found your force in pound-force. However, if you want to save time, consider using our pounds per square inch calculator.
How much psi is 1 bar?
One bar is equivalent to 14.5 psi. You can perform this conversion considering that 1 psi = 6,894.757 Pa and 1 bar = 100,000 Pa, where Pa is the SI unit for pressure, also known as the Pascal. So, by comparing these two equations, it is easy to see that psi = 14.5038 × bar.