Which unit is used for measuring stress?

Study for the ABSA 4th Class Power Engineer Test. Explore questions with hints and explanations. Get ready to ace the exam!

The unit used for measuring stress is indeed kilopascals (kPa). Stress is defined as the force exerted per unit area within materials, and it is expressed in terms of pressure. The pascal (Pa) is the SI unit of pressure, which is defined as one newton per square meter. Consequently, a kilopascal is equivalent to 1,000 pascals.

When evaluating the nature of stress, it’s important to recognize that it represents the internal distribution of force within a material, which is fundamentally linked to the concept of pressure where force is distributed over a specific area. Therefore, using kPa for measuring stress aligns with this definition and provides a standardized way to express the internal forces experienced by materials under load.

Other units presented, such as mm/m, kg/sq cm, and Nm, do not directly represent stress in a standardized manner suitable for analysis in engineering contexts. Hence, kilopascals are the preferred unit for quantifying stress in fields related to engineering and material science.

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