Pascal symbol

The two letters Pa, the SI unit symbol for the pascal.

ScientificMathematicalEngineering & technicalStandard profile

Meanings

Pa is the SI symbol for the pascal, the derived unit of pressure — one newton per square metre. Weather reports use its thousand-fold multiple, the hectopascal.

Officially standardisedVerified fact
Denotes the pascal, the SI derived unit of pressure.
Contexts: Mathematics
Common modern usageVerified fact
Is a small unit in everyday terms — atmospheric pressure is about 101 325 Pa — so it is almost always seen prefixed, as hPa in weather reporting or kPa and MPa in engineering.
Contexts: Mathematics

Visual description

A capital Latin P — a vertical stem with a closed bowl at the top right — followed by a lower-case a with a round bowl and a short vertical stroke on its right.

Symmetry: none
Orientation: upright

Confidence

IdentityHigh confidence: High confidence because the identity is defined by a current official standard, but multiple independent sources agree.
Historical originModerate confidence: Moderate confidence because the historical origin is documented in encyclopedic references, but multiple independent sources agree, but early or supporting evidence is limited, but the regional or cultural match to this specific claim is not precise.
Current useHigh confidence: High confidence because the current use is defined by a current official standard, but multiple independent sources agree.
Visual matchHigh confidence: High confidence because the visual match is documented in encyclopedic references, but multiple independent sources agree.

Sources

SI base units
Bureau International des Poids et Mesures · retrieved 2026-07-31
The seven base units and their symbols as published by the defining body. A summary page: the SI Brochure remains the full instrument.
Metric prefix
Wikipedia · retrieved 2026-07-31
Tertiary reference. Used for origin narrative and for units the SI does not define, never for an official-definition claim.
SI derived unit
Wikipedia · retrieved 2026-07-31
Tertiary reference. Used for origin narrative and for units the SI does not define, never for an official-definition claim.
The International System of Units (SI), 9th edition
Bureau International des Poids et Mesures · retrieved 2026-07-31
The defining document for SI unit names and symbols, including the capitalisation and spacing rules. It defines units; it says nothing about how a symbol is encoded in a character set, and nothing about non-SI units except where it lists those accepted for use with the SI.

Last reviewed 2026-08-01

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Units of measurement and their symbols

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Meanings

Pa is the SI symbol for the pascal, the derived unit of pressure — one newton per square metre. Weather reports use its thousand-fold multiple, the hectopascal.

Officially standardisedVerified fact

Denotes the pascal, the SI derived unit of pressure.

Contexts: Mathematics

Common modern usageVerified fact

Is a small unit in everyday terms — atmospheric pressure is about 101 325 Pa — so it is almost always seen prefixed, as hPa in weather reporting or kPa and MPa in engineering.

Contexts: Mathematics

Confidence

IdentityHigh confidence: High confidence because the identity is defined by a current official standard, but multiple independent sources agree.
Historical originModerate confidence: Moderate confidence because the historical origin is documented in encyclopedic references, but multiple independent sources agree, but early or supporting evidence is limited, but the regional or cultural match to this specific claim is not precise.
Current useHigh confidence: High confidence because the current use is defined by a current official standard, but multiple independent sources agree.
Visual matchHigh confidence: High confidence because the visual match is documented in encyclopedic references, but multiple independent sources agree.

Sources

SI base units
Bureau International des Poids et Mesures · retrieved 2026-07-31
The seven base units and their symbols as published by the defining body. A summary page: the SI Brochure remains the full instrument.
Metric prefix
Wikipedia · retrieved 2026-07-31
Tertiary reference. Used for origin narrative and for units the SI does not define, never for an official-definition claim.
SI derived unit
Wikipedia · retrieved 2026-07-31
Tertiary reference. Used for origin narrative and for units the SI does not define, never for an official-definition claim.
The International System of Units (SI), 9th edition
Bureau International des Poids et Mesures · retrieved 2026-07-31
The defining document for SI unit names and symbols, including the capitalisation and spacing rules. It defines units; it says nothing about how a symbol is encoded in a character set, and nothing about non-SI units except where it lists those accepted for use with the SI.

Last reviewed 2026-08-01