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Fluids

Water Pressure

What are the units used to measure pressure?

Pressure is force divided by area, so in the metric system pressure is measured in newtons per square meter, called a pascal (Pa). One pascal is a very small pressure, so usually the kPa, or 1,000 Pa, is used. In the English system, pounds per square inch (psi) is often used. Another unit used is a measurement of the height of mercury in a glass tube that would create a pressure that balances the pressure of the fluid. That unit that used to be called millimeters of mercury is now called the torr. Here is how these units compare: 760 torr = 14.7 psi = 101.3 kPa.



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