Vickers Hardness Number Calculator

Written by Great Medico

Updated September 25, 2026 •2 min read

Share Print Save

For vickers hardness number, a fast calculation is only useful when the setup is easy to audit. Stress, strain, stiffness, and section properties are tightly tied to geometry, so a correct formula can still give the wrong engineering answer when the wrong dimension is entered. The goal here is a result you can reproduce from the visible inputs, not a number that hides its assumptions.

What this calculator does

Use the Vickers Hardness Number Calculator when you want vickers hardness number from Force (F), Mean diagonal length on indentation (d) without building a broader simulation. Supporting cards, if present, expose useful consequences of the same equation rather than introduce unrelated assumptions.

How to use it

Use measured or specified values for Force (F), Mean diagonal length on indentation (d). Let the page handle supported unit conversions, but keep the physical convention consistent across the fields. If you are comparing two scenarios, change only the quantity you intend to test so the effect is easy to interpret.

How the calculation works

The page uses HV = 1.8544F/d² with force expressed as kgf-equivalent and the mean diagonal d in millimeters. It also shows simple derived estimates for surface-hardness pressure and tensile strength.

Example

Using the default example on the page (Force (F) = 294.2 N; Mean diagonal length on indentation (d) = 0.5 mm), the calculator returns vickers hardness number of 222.528378 HV. The example is most useful as a consistency check; reproduce it first, then replace the defaults with your own measurements.

How to interpret the result

A larger HV means greater resistance to indentation under the Vickers definition, provided the test force, diagonal measurement, and specimen conditions are valid. Compare HV values with data produced under compatible test conditions; the supporting tensile-strength estimate is not a substitute for a tensile test.

Limitations and notes

The HV relation assumes a valid Vickers indentation test and compatible force/diagonal units. Surface finish, dwell time, indentation spacing, specimen thickness, indenter calibration, and test standard matter in real hardness testing. The page’s tensile-strength and pressure-style supporting estimates are rough derived values and should not be treated as certified material properties.