# Unit conversions involving Pascals

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Summary:: Pascal units digits

Do somebody have a chart that converts pascals , mega pascals etc to units to know how many digits or zeros there are after the point please ?

Thanks

## Answers and Replies

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Staff Emeritus
2019 Award
Theres' nothing special about pascals. Kilo is 1000, mega is 1000000 etc.

So for example when you have the result of 15 625 000 N m 2 how you put in pascals ? 15 625 kPa ?

Thanks

etotheipi
Gold Member
2019 Award
So for example when you have the result of 15 625 000 N m 2 how you put in pascals ? 15 625 kPa ?

Thanks
Yes, $1 \text{ Pa} = 1 \text{ N} \text{m}^{-2}$ by definition. Like @Vanadium 50 alluded to, the SI prefixes are general.

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A.T.

Thank you

Yes, $1 Pa = 1 Nm^{-2}$ by definition. Like @Vanadium 50 alluded to, the SI prefixes are general.
So 1 Pa = 0.01Nm with tha little -2 ?

etotheipi
Gold Member
2019 Award
So 1 Pa = 0.01Nm with tha little -2 ?
No, $\text{N} \text{m}^{-2}$ is equivalent to $\frac{\text{N}}{\text{m}^{2}}$! It has no relevance to the prefix whatsoever!

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No, $Nm^{-2}$ is equivalent to $N/m^{2}$! It has no relevance to the prefix whatsoever!

Ok
Thanks . Have to study more about these to understand.

etotheipi
Gold Member
2019 Award
So for example when you have the result of 15 625 000 N m 2 how you put in pascals ? 15 625 kPa ?

Thanks
You seemed like you had it here! You can think of units sort of like algebraic quantities. To do the conversion, you could write down

$15625000 \text{ N}\text{m}^{-2} = 15625 \times 10^{3} \text{ N}\text{m}^{-2} = 15625 \text{ kN}\text{m}^{-2} = 15625 \text{ kPa}$

just like you obtained. Once you get the hang of it, you'll find that you won't really need to think at all/write all of that junk out!

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You seemed like you had it here! You can think of units sort of like algebraic quantities. To do the conversion, you could write down

$15625000 Nm^{-2} = 15625 \times 10^{3} Nm^{-2} = 15625 kNm^{-2} = 15625 kPa$

just like you obtained. Once you get the hang of it, you'll find that you won't really need to think at all/write all of that junk out!
I notice you made always a -2 on the m .

Mister T
Gold Member
I notice you made always a -2 on the m .
$m^{-2}=\frac{1}{m^2}$

$m^{-2}=\frac{1}{m^2}$
It s ok I give up . But thanks anyway for your help .

vanhees71
Gold Member
2019 Award
You seemed like you had it here! You can think of units sort of like algebraic quantities. To do the conversion, you could write down

$15625000 Nm^{-2} = 15625 \times 10^{3} Nm^{-2} = 15625 kNm^{-2} = 15625 kPa$

just like you obtained. Once you get the hang of it, you'll find that you won't really need to think at all/write all of that junk out!
And it's very important to typeset units in roman (upright), it should read
$$1 \, \text{Pa}=1 \, \text{N} \, \text{m}^{-2}=1 \, \frac{\text{N}}{\text{m}^2}$$
etc.

etotheipi
Gold Member
2019 Award
And it's very important to typeset units in roman (upright), it should read
$$1 \, \text{Pa}=1 \, \text{N} \, \text{m}^{-2}=1 \, \frac{\text{N}}{\text{m}^2}$$
etc.
Ah that's useful, never knew \text{} was a thing! My latex is dreadful...

jtbell
Mentor
$m^{-2}=\frac{1}{m^2}$
It s ok I give up . But thanks anyway for your help .
Have you never seen negative exponents used to indicate reciprocals? $$10^{-2}=\frac 1 {10^2} = \frac 1 {100}$$ $$x^{-3} = \frac 1 {x^3}$$ etc.

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Have you never seen negative exponents used to indicate reciprocals? $$10^{-2}=\frac 1 {10^2} = \frac 1 {100}$$ $$x^{-3} = \frac 1 {x^3}$$ etc.

No . I finished school early now I m taking a course .

jbriggs444
Homework Helper
2019 Award
No . I finished school early now I m taking a course .
The meaning for negative exponents follows naturally from the law of exponents:$$x^{a+b}=x^a \times x^b$$
If you have an exponent $-a$, it then follows that:$$x^{-a} \times x^a = x^{-a+a} = x^0$$ By definition(*), $x^0=1$ so we can write: $$x^{-a} \times x^a = 1$$ If we divide through by $x^a$ that yields: $$x^{-a} = \frac{1}{x^a}$$

(*) One might quibble about the grounding definitions for exponentiation. But I like to start with the idea that an empty product yields the multiplicative identity (1) just like an empty sum yields the additive identity (0).

The meaning for negative exponents follows naturally from the law of exponents:$$x^{a+b}=x^a \times x^b$$
If you have an exponent $-a$, it then follows that:$$x^{-a} \times x^a = x^{-a+a} = x^0$$ By definition(*), $x^0=1$ so we can write: $$x^{-a} \times x^a = 1$$ If we divide through by $x^a$ that yields: $$x^{-a} = \frac{1}{x^a}$$

(*) One might quibble about the grounding definitions for exponentiation. But I like to start with the idea that an empty product yields the multiplicative identity (1) just like an empty sum yields the additive identity (0).

I will need a very basic lesson to understand this . I started from the middle of the subject. but thanks

jbriggs444
Homework Helper
2019 Award
I will need a very basic lesson to understand this . I started from the middle of the subject. but thanks
You could start with Wiki. Though a textbook might be better.

You could start with Wiki. Though a textbook might be better.

I will but I m focusing on what the exams will be about and we stopped to work out stress , strain, and young modulus because it s an assistant technician course.

Mister T
Gold Member
So for example when you have the result of 15 625 000 N m 2 how you put in pascals ? 15 625 kPa ?
First of all it would be 15 625 000 N/m². That's 15 625 000 newtons of force on each square meter of area. This would be, by definition, 15 625 000 Pa. And since there are 1000 pascals in a kilopascal, it would be equivalent to 15 625 kPa.

this one it s ok i fully understood it

Staff Emeritus