Stokes (St)
The stokes (St) is the CGS unit of kinematic viscosity, exactly 1 cm²/s or 10⁻⁴ m²/s, named after George Gabriel Stokes.
Symbol: St
Quantity: kinematic viscosity (dynamic viscosity divided by density)
SI relation: 1 St = 0.0001 m²/s (exact)
Derivation: 1 St = 1 cm²/s = 10⁻⁴ m²/s
Exact: yes, by definition
Same quantity as square centimeter per second (cm²/s) : the factor between them is exactly 1.
Typical uses
- Older physics and fluid-mechanics references
- Converting to centistokes for oils
Convert stokes to other units
| Conversion | 1 St equals | Reverse |
|---|---|---|
| stokes to centistokes | 100 cSt | centistokes to stokes |
| stokes to square meter per second | 0.0001 m²/s | square meter per second to stokes |
| stokes to square millimeter per second | 100 mm²/s | square millimeter per second to stokes |
| stokes to square foot per second | 0.001076391042 ft²/s | square foot per second to stokes |
| stokes to square centimeter per second | 1 cm²/s | square centimeter per second to stokes |
Open the Kinematic Viscosity Converter to convert any value between all units.
Sources
- Guide for the Use of the International System of Units (SI), NIST Special Publication 811, 2008 Edition, National Institute of Standards and Technology , Appendix B.8, "stokes (St)".
Last reviewed: . Factors are stored exactly and computed with 50-digit decimal arithmetic. See how we verify conversion factors.
Cite this page
APA
Scientific Converters. (2026, October 15). Stokes (St). Retrieved October 17, 2026, from https://scientificconverters.com/units/stokes/
IEEE
Scientific Converters, "Stokes (St)," scientificconverters.com. Accessed: Oct. 17, 2026. [Online]. Available: https://scientificconverters.com/units/stokes/