To calculate the amount of force a cylinder can exert, you must multiply the piston area by the:

The force that a hydraulic cylinder can exert is determined by the principle that relates pressure, area, and force. According to Pascal's principle, the force exerted by a hydraulic system is directly proportional to the pressure of the fluid acting on the piston area.

To calculate this force, the formula used is F = P × A, where F represents the force, P is the fluid pressure, and A is the piston area. By multiplying the area of the piston with the pressure of the hydraulic fluid acting on it, one can determine the total force being exerted by the cylinder.

Fluid temperature, piston stroke, and cylinder diameter do not directly factor into this basic calculation of force exerted by a cylinder. Fluid temperature might affect fluid viscosity and performance but not the fundamental force calculation; piston stroke refers to the distance the piston travels, which affects work done but not the force at any given moment; and cylinder diameter is related to the area, but the calculation requires using the effective area with fluid pressure to find force. Thus, the correct answer emphasizes the critical role of fluid pressure in hydrodynamics.