Pascal, << pas KAL or PAS kuhl, >> a unit in the metric system, is used to measure pressure (force per unit of area). Its symbol is Pa. One pascal is the pressure of a force of 1 newton acting on an area of 1 square meter (see Newton ). If a force of 30 newtons acts on an area of 5 square meters, the amount of pressure exerted is 6 pascals. Other metric units of pressure are the kilopascal, which equals 1,000 pascals, and the bar, which equals 100,000 pascals. In the inch-pound system, pressure is measured in pounds per square inch. One pascal equals about 0.000145 pound per square inch. The pascal was named for the French scientist Blaise Pascal.
