What are the units of stress?

The units of stress are Newtons per square metre (N/m²) or Pascals (Pa).

Stress is defined as the force per unit area acting on a material. It is a measure of the internal forces within a material that resist deformation. The SI unit for force is the Newton (N) and the SI unit for area is the square metre (m²). Therefore, the SI unit for stress is N/m². This unit is also known as the Pascal (Pa), named after the French mathematician and physicist Blaise Pascal.

There are other units of stress that are used in different contexts. For example, in engineering, stress is sometimes measured in pounds per square inch (psi) or kilopounds per square inch (ksi). In geology, stress is measured in bars or megapascals (MPa).

It is important to note that stress is not the same as pressure, although they have the same units. Pressure is a measure of force per unit area acting on a surface, while stress is a measure of force per unit area acting within a material.