A kilopascal (kPa) is metric unit used to calculate the force that an object exerts on another stationary object for every square meter of contact. This unit is commonly used in measuring atmospheric pressure and water pressure in metric countries. A Kilo-newton per meter squared (kN/m^2) is a more scientific-oriented unit used in physics calculations. This measurement is equivalent to a kPa and is essentially a broken-down version, which allows for easier mathematical calculation.