physics

Kilogram-force per square centimetre

Kilogram-force per square centimetre is a physics topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Kilogram-force per square centimetre rather than just read about it. In short: A kilogram-force per square centimetre (kgf/cm2), often just kilogram per square centimetre (kg/cm2), or kilopond per square centimetre (kp/cm2) is a deprecated unit of pressure using metric units. It is not a part of the International System of Units (SI), the modern metric system. 1 kgf/cm2 equals 98.0665 kPa (kilopascals) or 0.980665 bar—2% less than a bar.

Key takeaways

Kilogram-force per square centimetre belongs to physics; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Kilogram-force per square centimetre to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Kilogram-force per square centimetre from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

A kilogram-force per square centimetre (kgf/cm2), often just kilogram per square centimetre (kg/cm2), or kilopond per square centimetre (kp/cm2) is a deprecated unit of pressure using metric units. It is not a part of the International System of Units (SI), the modern metric system. 1 kgf/cm2 equals 98.0665 kPa (kilopascals) or 0.980665 bar—2% less than a bar. It is also known as a technical atmosphere (symbol: at). Use of the kilogram-force per square centimetre continues primarily due to older pressure measurement devices still in use. This use of the unit of pressure provides an intuitive understanding for how a body's mass, in contexts with roughly standard gravity, can apply force to a scale's surface area, i.e. kilogram-force per square (centi-)metre. In SI units, the unit is converted to the SI derived unit pascal (Pa), which is defined as one newton per square metre (N/m2). A newton is equal to 1 kg⋅m/s2, and a kilogram-force is 9.80665 N, meaning that 1 kgf/cm2 equals 98.0665 kilopascals (kPa). In some older publications, kilogram-force per square centimetre is abbreviated ksc instead of kgf/cm2.

Ambiguity of at The symbol "at" clashes with that of the katal (symbol: "kat"), the SI unit of catalytic activity; a kilotechnical atmosphere would have the symbol "kat", indistinguishable from the symbol for the katal. It also clashes with that of the non-SI unit, the attotonne, but that unit would more likely be rendered as the equivalent SI unit, the picogram.

References

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Kilogram-force per square centimetre

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Kilogram-force per square centimetre claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In physics, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Kilogram-force per square centimetre before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Kilogram-force per square centimetre ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Kilogram-force per square centimetre

In research: Kilogram-force per square centimetre appears in physics research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Kilogram-force per square centimetre in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Kilogram-force per square centimetre is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Non-SI metric units, Units of pressure, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Kilogram-force per square centimetre outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Kilogram-force per square centimetre in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Kilogram-force per square centimetre means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Kilogram-force per square centimetre out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Kilogram-force per square centimetre in simple terms?

Why does Kilogram-force per square centimetre matter?

Because it connects several physics ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Kilogram-force per square centimetre?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Kilogram-force per square centimetre.