Final answer:
The pascal is the standard SI unit for pressure and is defined as one newton per square meter (N/m²), which can be expressed in fundamental units as 1 kg/(m × s²).
Step-by-step explanation:
The SI unit for pressure is the pascal (Pa), which is defined as a newton per square meter (N/m²). A newton (N) is the SI unit of force and it is equal to 1 kg m/s². When expressing the pascal using only the fundamental SI units of kilograms, meters, and seconds, we see that:
1 N is equivalent to 1 kg × m/s² (mass × acceleration)
Therefore, 1 Pa is equivalent to 1 N/m²
When broken down into basic units, this becomes 1 Pa = 1 kg/(m × s²)
The pascal measures the amount of force exerted over an area of one square meter. This depiction of pressure as kg/(m × s²) is crucial for understanding how different forces and areas impact the resulting pressure.