ScienceAugust 23, 2026

kilopascals

KIL-oh-pas-kals

Definition

A unit of pressure in the metric system equal to 1,000 pascals.

Etymology

Derived from the Greek 'khilioi' (thousand) and the name of French scientist Blaise Pascal, who made foundational contributions to the study of fluid pressure.

In the news

The article uses kilopascals to quantify the internal pressure generated by an octopus's mantle during jet propulsion, explaining why this pressure interferes with blood circulation.

An octopus has three hearts, but during jet-propelled swimming its main systemic heart can briefly stop—the pressure inside its mantle prevents enough blood from returning to the hearts. That helps explain why bottom-dwelling octopuses usually crawl and re

Read the full article ↗

ScienceBlog.com

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