Which of the following units is NOT commonly used to express force?

Which of the following units is NOT commonly used to express force?

• A. Newtons
• B. Pascals
• C. Pound-force
• D. Kilograms

Answer: (B)

The unit that is not commonly used to express force in this context is the Pascal. The Pascal is defined as one newton per square meter and is a unit of pressure, not force. While pressure can be related to force through the area over which the force is applied, the Pascal itself is not a direct measure of force. In contrast, Newtons are the standard unit of force in the International System of Units (SI), and pound-force, while not part of the SI system, is also used to express force in various applications, particularly in American engineering contexts. Kilograms can be a point of confusion since it is a unit of mass, but it is often involved in calculations regarding force through Newton's second law (F = ma), where mass in kilograms is multiplied by acceleration to determine force in Newtons. Therefore, the Pascal stands out as the unit that does not represent force directly, making it the correct answer in this context.

The unit that is not commonly used to express force in this context is the Pascal. The Pascal is defined as one newton per square meter and is a unit of pressure, not force. While pressure can be related to force through the area over which the force is applied, the Pascal itself is not a direct measure of force.

In contrast, Newtons are the standard unit of force in the International System of Units (SI), and pound-force, while not part of the SI system, is also used to express force in various applications, particularly in American engineering contexts. Kilograms can be a point of confusion since it is a unit of mass, but it is often involved in calculations regarding force through Newton's second law (F = ma), where mass in kilograms is multiplied by acceleration to determine force in Newtons.

Therefore, the Pascal stands out as the unit that does not represent force directly, making it the correct answer in this context.