Anglo-Chinese School (Independent)

Science Department – Y3 IP Physics 2021

Name : ______________________________ ( ) Date : _______________

Class : 3.__________ Remarks: _______

7A Formative assignment Pressure

Key Learning Points

• What is meant by Pressure?

• Pressure is defined as force acting per unit area.

• Formula of Pressure:
where P: Pressure (unit: Pa known as pascal)
P = F/A F: Force due to weight of the body (unit: N, newton)
A: Area of the body in contact with the ground (unit: m2)
• SI unit for pressure is N/m2 or Pascal.

• Liquid Pressure

How do we measure the Pressure of liquids at a certain depth?

Diagram A liquid column of vertical height h, density ρ and base

area A.

Formula of Pressure P due to liquid column:

P = hρg
h: vertical height of the liquid column (unit: m )
ρ: density of the liquid (unit: kg/m3)
g: gravitational field strength (unit: N/kg)
(unit: Pa, known as Pascal.)

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Test yourself 1

1. A thumb exerts a force of 20 N. The area of the head of the pin is 1.0 cm2. The area of the
point of the pin is 0.0020 cm2.

(a) Calculate the pressure exerted on the head of the pin.

(b) Calculate the pressure on a board when the pin is pressed onto it.

2. A rectangular block measures 8.0 cm by 5.0 cm by 4.0 cm and has a mass of 1.25 kg.

(a) Calculate the weight of the block.

(b) Calculate the maximum and minimum pressure that can be exerted by the block
when resting on a table.

3. A submarine is in water of density 1000 kg/m3.

The gravitational field strength g is 10 N/kg. The
atmospheric pressure is 100 kPa.

What is the difference in pressure between the points

X and Y on the submarine?

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• Pascal’s Vases
An apparatus called Pascal’s vases demonstrates that Liquid pressure is only dependent on
the vertical height of the liquid column. The greater the depth, the greater the liquid pressure
exerted.
Volume of liquid or cross-sectional base area of liquid does not affect the pressure exerted
due to the liquid.

• Pascal’s Principle or Pascal’s Law

• Pascal’s Principle states that pressure applied to an enclosed fluid is transmitted to
every part of the fluid without any loss, as well as to the walls of the container.
• All liquids and gases are fluids.
• Gases are compressible.
• Liquids, however, are incompressible, thus pressure can be transmitted throughout the
liquid.
• Hydraulics
Hydraulic systems e.g. hydraulic-lift makes use of Pascal’s Principle to help magnify a force
exerted by the user. A small amount of effort can be used to lift a heavy object (i.e: car) using
hydraulic machines.
Since the pressure must be transmitted from one side of the system to the other, we can calculate
the force magnification easily by using the formula P = F / A, and equating the pressure on
both sides of the system.
Diagram of a simple hydraulic press.

From the diagram,

F1 F2
Since P1 = P2

A1 A2 ∴ F1 / A1 = F2 / A2

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Principle of Conservation of Energy applies to the hydraulic press, assume there is no
friction involved, the work done by a smaller force F1 moved a longer distance d1 on one side
of the system will be equal to the work done by a larger force F2 moved over a smaller distance
d2 on the other piston. We can go on to calculate the distances moved by the various pistons.
F1 x d1 = F2 x d2
Or you can use: A1d1 = A2d2 because the volume of water is always constant.

Test yourself 2 QR Code for hydraulic Press

https://www.youtube.com/watch?
1. Fluid pressure is always directed v=YlmRa-9zDF8

A up.
B down.
C sideways.
D in all directions

N2006/I/12
2. The system shown in the diagram contains a liquid.

A downward force of 80 N is exerted on the piston K.

What will be the upward force exerted by the liquid on piston L?

A 1.0 N B 4.0 N C 80 N D 1600 N

3 In the arrangement below, a person of mass 50 kg is standing on a platform over the piston
of area 2.0 x 10-2 m2. What height of water, h, will just support her? (Assume that the density
of water is 1.0 x 103 kg m-3).

A 0.25 m B 2.5 m C 25 m D 250 m

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• Gas Pressure - Atmospheric Pressure

• The Earth is surrounded by a layer of air called the atmosphere.

• The atmosphere is due to the result of Earth’s gravitational pull on the air molecules
near the Earth’s surface.
• Even though we cannot feel and see the air molecules, they take up space and have
weight.
• The atmosphere exerts a pressure on the Earth’s surface, known as atmospheric
pressure.
• The pressure exerted by the atmosphere at sea level is 1.013 x 105 Pa, also known as 1
atmosphere or 1 atm. Similar to 1.0 kg (equivalent 10 N weight) of air molecules on
an area of 1.0 cm2.
• Higher altitude (above sea level) will have lower atmospheric pressure due to two
physical effects: gravitational field strength acting on air molecules and heat content
of the air (lower temperature).

• Barometers
The barometer is an instrument used to measure atmospheric pressure.
Atmospheric pressure provides the force to push the liquid up into the evacuated tube.

What are the pressures in cm Hg at the points A to D indicated on the mercury barometer?

vacuum
Pressure at A = 0 cm Hg
Pressure at B = 10 cm Hg Atmospheric
pressure
Pressure at C = 65 cm Hg
Pressure at D = 75 cm Hg

At equilibrium, the pressure on the surface at point D is equal to atmospheric pressure.

Typically, mercury (Hg) is used as the liquid in barometers. This is because Hg is the
densest known liquid at room temperature. On a normal day, atmospheric pressure can
support about 76 cm of Hg or 760 mm of Hg, otherwise presented as 760 mm Hg or 76
cm Hg. Use g = 9.8 N/kg as its more accurate. Density of Hg is 13 600 kg/m3.
Using the formula to determine atmospheric pressure in Pascal,
Pliquid = h x ρHg x g = 0.76 m x 13600 kg/m3 x 9.8 N/kg = 1.013 x 105 Pa

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 Factors affecting barometric height (Atmospheric Pressure)
1) Altitude
2) Temperature
3) Humidity
4) Trapped air within the tube
5) Moisture within the tube

Fig. a below represents a simple mercury barometer on a particular day: the scale alongside
the barometer is marked in cm.

Fig. a Fig. b Fig. c

100 100 100

mercury 80 80 80

60 60 60
B
40 mercury 40 40
mercury
C 20 20 20
(a)

(a) What is the pressure inside the tube in Fig. a

(i) at point C? 76 cm Hg

(ii) at point B? 50 cm Hg

(b) The mercury levels shown inside the tubes in Fig.b and Fig.c are incorrect.
(i) On Fig. b, show the correct level of mercury inside the tube after pouring more
mercury inside the reservoir until it reaches the level shown by the dotted lines in
the diagram.

(ii) On Fig. c, show the correct level of mercury inside the tube after tilting the tube
from the position shown in Fig. a into the position shown in Fig.c

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• Manometers
• It is an instrument used to measure the difference in pressure of gases or liquids.
• Commonly used to measure pressure in gas pipelines, for industrial purposes.
• Manometer consists of a U-tube containing a liquid. The liquid is usually water, oil or
mercury.

Atmospheric Pressure
U-tube containing a liquid
at the same level.

Determine the pressure of the gas, P in each of the following cases, taking atmospheric
pressure to be P0.
(i) (ii)

Gas at Gas at
pressure pressure
P P

Pressure of the gas, P Pressure of the gas, P

P = P0 + hρg P = P0 - hρg

Refer to the figure (i) and (ii),

(i) At equilibrium, the pressure at point B and point C must be equal, since they are at
the same level. Hence pressure of gas at point B is equal to pressure of liquid
column above point C and atmospheric pressure.

(ii) At equilibrium, the pressure at point B and point C must be equal, since they are at
the same level. Hence pressure of gas at point C is equal to atmospheric pressure
minus away pressure of liquid column above point B.

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Test yourself 3

N2006/I/11
1 A water manometer is connected to a gas supply.
The diagram shows the water levels. The water is
replaced by mercury, which is more dense than water.

Which diagram shows the mercury levels when the

manometer is connected to the same gas supply?

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2 Diagram X shows a water manometer before it is connected to a gas supply.
Diagram Y shows the manometer when it is connected to a gas supply.

What is the excess pressure of the gas supply above atmospheric pressure?
A 10 cm water
B 20 cm water
C 40 cm water
D 50 cm water

3 The diagram below shows a mercury barometer and a mercury manometer placed in the
same room.

What is the pressure of the gas?

A 15 cm Hg
B 30 cm Hg
C 60 cm Hg
D 75 cm Hg

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4 An open tube stands, with one end in mercury, in a chamber that is connected to a gas
supply. The pressure of the gas is P metres of mercury. The atmospheric pressure is h
metres of mercury

If x and y are measured in metres, the pressure P in

metres of mercury is equal to

A x+h
B x–h
C x
D x+y