1. Fluid pressure, p, is the force exerted on a unit area.

If (P) represents the total force on an area A, and dP is

the elemental force on an elemental are dA, the intensity
of pressure is,

dP
p =
dA

If the pressure is uniform over the area A, then

P
p =
A
Units:
English : lb/in2 (psi)
Metric : kg/m2
SI : N/m2 (Pa) or kN/m2 (kPa)
2. Pascal’s Law : “At any point in a fluid at rest, this
pressure is the same in all directions.
pA
pA pA

 A pA  pA

pA pA
pA

3. Any point on a liquid at rest is subjected by a hydrostatic

pressure which is acting perpendicular or normal to the
surfaces of the point.
4. Any external pressure upon a liquid on a vessel is
transmitted with equal intensity to all points of the
containing vessel.

p
p 

5. Variation of Pressure in a Fluid: 

“the pressure at any point in a
fluid at rest is equal to its specific
h F
weight times the vertical
distance of the point from the p
surface.”
p = F h
6. Atmospheric, Gage and Absolute Pressure
Atmospheric or Barometric Pressure (patm)
- the pressure exerted by the atmosphere on every
surface with which it comes in contact. Under
normal conditions, standard atmospheric pressure
is equal to 14.7 psi (101.3 kPa).

Under Normal Conditions:

patm = 2166 lb/ft2
= 14.7 psi
= 30 inches of Hg
= 762 mmHg
= 101.3 kPa
Gage Pressure (pg)
- pressure measured by means
of gages above or below the atmospheric level.
At sea level pg = 0.

Absolute Pressure (pabs)

- the pressure measured above absolute zero.
At sea level, under normal conditions, absolute
pressure is 14.7 psi (101.3 kPa).
 pabs = pgage + patm

pgage (+)
patm = 14.7 psi (101.3 kPa)
pgage (-) pabs

patm is pabs
pabs

Abs 0
7. Pressure head, h - the height of a column of
homogenous fluid of specific weight, , that will
produce an intensity of pressure p at its bottom.

8. Transmission of Pressures. At any point, 2, h units

below point 1 the pressure is:

1
p2 = p1 +  h
h
2
Definition:
Free Liquid Surface (FLS) – is the surface which is
subject to the atmospheric pressure (no gage pressure).

Pressure head (h) – a column of homogeneous fluid

of unit weight “” that will produce an intensity of
pressure p.
 PROBLEMS

1. What is the pressure 12.5 m below the ocean?

Use sp. gr. = 1.03 for salt water.

2. If the pressure 23 m below a liquid is 338.445 kPa,

determine its unit weight , mass density , and sp.
gr.

3. If the pressure at a point in the ocean is 60 kPa,

what is the pressure 27 meters below this point?
1. For the dam shown, find the horizontal pressure
acting at the face of the dam at a certain depth.

9m
Water
Concrete
2. If the pressure in a tank is 60 psi, find the
equivalent pressure head of
a) water
b) mercury
c) heavy fuel oil (sp.gr. = 0.95)
3. A pressure gage at elevation 8.0 m on the side
of a tank containing a liquid reads 60 kN/m2.
Another gage at elevation 5.0 m reads 83.5 kN/m2.
Compute the specific weight and mass density
of the fluid.

Elev 8.0 m

Liquid

Elev 5.0 m
4. An open tank contains 5.0 m of water covered
with 2.5 m of oil (  = 8.0 kN/m3). Find the
pressure at the interface and at the bottom of
the tank.
5. For the vessel containing glycerin under
pressure as shown below, find the pressure
at the bottom of the tank.

50 kPa


Glycerin
s.g. = 1.26
5. If the atmospheric pressure is 920 mbar abs
and a gage attached to a tank reads 400 mmHg
vacuum, what is the absolute pressure within
the tank?
(Note: 1 bar = 100,000 N/m2 )

p=h

patm = 920 mbar(0.100 MN/m2)

1 mbar
6. Calculate the pressures at A, B, C, and D.

Air A Air

0.3 m C

0.3 m Oil

s.g. = 0.9
0.6 m B


Water 1m
D

In the figure shown, if the atmospheric pressure is
101.3 kPa and the absolute pressure at the bottom
of the tank is 231.3 kPa, what is the specific gravity
of oil?


SAE Oil 1.5 m
s.g. = 0.89

Water 2.5 m

Olive Oil 2.9 m

s.g. = ?
Hg 0.4 m
The figure shown shows a set-up with a vessel containing a
plunger and a cylinder. What force F is required to balance
the weight of the cylinder if the weight of the plunger is
negligible?
F=?

Cylinder Plunger
W = 44 kN A = 0.00323 m2
A = 0.323
m2 4.6 m

Oil, s.g. = 0.78

At 20oC gage A reads 350 kPa abs. What is the height h of
water? What should be the reading of gage B?