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Pascal (unit)

physical science Maturity 11-13 Next article →

A pascal is a special unit used to measure pressure. Pressure is a way to describe how much a force pushes on a surface. The pascal is part of the International System of Units, which is a standard way to measure things. Scientists use it to study many different things. They use it to measure the stress inside materials. They also use it to check the pressure inside liquids or gases.

To understand how a pascal works, imagine a push. One pascal is the pressure from one newton of force. This force must push straight down on one square metre of area. Because one pascal is such a tiny amount, we often use larger versions. A hectopascal is equal to 100 pascals. A kilopascal is 1,000 pascals. A megapascal is much larger, and engineers use it to measure strong materials.

This unit is named after a famous man named Blaise Pascal. He was a thinker who studied hydrostatics and hydrodynamics. These are the ways that liquids move and stay still. He also did many experiments using a barometer. A barometer is a tool used to measure air pressure. In 1971, the 14th General Conference on Weights and Measures officially chose his name for this unit.

We see these measurements in many places every day. Meteorologists use hectopascals to report the weather. At sea level, the air pressure is about 1,013 hPa. In Canada, people use kilopascals for these same weather reports. In the United States, people often use different units like millibars. Scientists also use gigapascals to measure the huge pressure deep inside the Earth.

Even your own body uses these measurements. Doctors check your blood pressure to keep you healthy. A normal adult blood pressure is less than 16.0 kPa for the top number. It is also less than 10.7 kPa for the bottom number. Doctors can even use ultrasound to see how stiff your body tissue is. They measure this stiffness using kilopascals.

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