kiloPascal

A kilopascal (symbol kPa) is a unit of pressure in the International System of Units (SI). It equals 1,000 pascals, with a pascal defined as one newton per square meter. The prefix kilo multiplies the unit by a thousand, making the kilopascal a convenient unit for modest-to-high pressures encountered in science and engineering.

One kilopascal is 1,000 pascals, and many common pressure levels are expressed in kilopascals. At sea level, atmospheric pressure is about 101.325 kPa. In imperial units, 1 kPa is about 0.145 psi; and 1 bar is defined as exactly 100 kPa, while 1 atm is about 101.325 kPa.

Kilopascals are widely used in meteorology, civil and mechanical engineering, HVAC systems, and tire and hydraulic applications. Pressure readings may be reported as absolute pressure (relative to a perfect vacuum) or as gauge pressure (above atmospheric).

In practice, kPa is the standard SI unit for pressure in many contexts; engineers may specify kPa, kPa(a) for absolute pressure, or kPa(g) for gauge pressure. Modern sensors and transducers report pressure in kPa, often with digital displays or data logging.