You may have seen the abbreviation kPa, for kilopascals, printed on a pressure gauge you use for the tires of your car. One kilopascal equals approximately 0.145 pounds per square inch (psi). Because the kilopascal is a unit of pressure, you cannot convert it directly to joules, which is a unit of energy. Think of joules as the product of a volume measurement and kilopascals, however, and you can easily make the conversion.

Multiply your value in kilopascals by 1,000 to convert to pascals using a calculator. For example, your value in kilopascals is 0.037 kPa: 0.037 x 1000 = 37. A pascal equals 1 kg per meter seconds squared.

Multiply your answer by a value in meters cubed, which is a unit of volume. For example, a value in cubic meters is 3 cubic meters (m^3): 37 x 3 = 111.

Write your answer using the correct units. For example, 111 kilogram meters squared per second squared.

Note that 1 joule equals 1 kilogram meter squared per second squared.

Write your answer now in joules. For example, 111 joules (J).