What is the equivalent of 1 mm Hg in cm H2O?

To understand the conversion between millimeters of mercury (mm Hg) and centimeters of water (cm H2O), it's important to know the densities of these fluids and how they relate to pressure measurements.

1 mm Hg is equivalent to approximately 1.36 cm H2O due to the difference in the density of mercury compared to water. Specifically, mercury has a density that is roughly 13.6 times greater than that of water. Therefore, when converting pressure, 1 mm Hg results in a higher measurement in cm H2O because it takes a greater height of water to exert the same pressure as a smaller height of mercury.

This relationship is crucial in fields like mechanical ventilation where pressure readings are taken in different units, and understanding how to convert between them is important for accurate assessments and interventions. Thus, selecting 1.36 cm H2O as the equivalent of 1 mm Hg is based on this known conversion factor.