Quick reference table
Common surface tension conversions
| From | To |
|---|---|
| 1 dyn/cm | 1 mN/m |
| 1 N/m | 1 dyn/cm |
| 1 lbf/in | 175.1268352 N/m |
| 1 gf/cm | 980.665 mN/m |
How to convert surface tension
Surface tension is the force along the surface of a liquid. Water is about 72 mN/m (72 dyn/cm) at room temperature.
Every surface tension unit is a fixed multiple of one base unit, the N/m. To convert a value, multiply it by the size of the starting unit and divide by the size of the target unit. For example, to convert dyn/cm to mN/m, multiply by 1. To go the other way, divide by 1.
The converter above does this for you and shows the exact formula under the result.
Worked examples
Dynes per centimeter to Millinewtons per meter
| Dynes per centimeter (dyn/cm) | Millinewtons per meter (mN/m) |
|---|---|
| 1 dyn/cm | 1 mN/m |
| 2 dyn/cm | 2 mN/m |
| 5 dyn/cm | 5 mN/m |
| 10 dyn/cm | 10 mN/m |
| 25 dyn/cm | 25 mN/m |
| 50 dyn/cm | 50 mN/m |
| 100 dyn/cm | 100 mN/m |
| 1,000 dyn/cm | 1,000 mN/m |
Newtons per meter to Dynes per centimeter
| Newtons per meter (N/m) | Dynes per centimeter (dyn/cm) |
|---|---|
| 1 N/m | 1 dyn/cm |
| 2 N/m | 2 dyn/cm |
| 5 N/m | 5 dyn/cm |
| 10 N/m | 1 dyn/cm |
| 25 N/m | 25 dyn/cm |
| 50 N/m | 5 dyn/cm |
| 100 N/m | 1 dyn/cm |
| 1,000 N/m | 1 dyn/cm |
Surface tension units explained
| Unit | Symbol | Equals |
|---|---|---|
| Newtons per meter | N/m | 1 N/m = 1 N/m |
| Millinewtons per meter | mN/m | 1 mN/m = 0.001 N/m |
| Dynes per centimeter | dyn/cm | 1 dyn/cm = 0.001 N/m |
| Pounds-force per inch | lbf/in | 1 lbf/in = 175.126835246 N/m |
| Pounds-force per foot | lbf/ft | 1 lbf/ft = 14.5939029372 N/m |
| Grams-force per centimeter | gf/cm | 1 gf/cm = 0.980665 N/m |
Popular conversions: dyn/cm to mn/m.
Frequently asked questions
Is dyn/cm the same as mN/m?
Yes. One dyne per centimeter equals exactly one millinewton per meter.
How do I convert dyn/cm to mN/m?
Multiply the value in dyn/cm by 1 to get mN/m. For example, 10 dyn/cm = 10 mN/m.
How many mN/m is 1 dyn/cm?
1 dyn/cm = 1 mN/m, and 1 mN/m = 1 dyn/cm.
Does this surface tension converter work offline?
Yes. After the page has loaded once, all calculations run in your browser, so it keeps working without an internet connection.