PRESSURE

Pressure is a measure of how spread out a force is over a specific area

If you wish to increase the pressure exerted by a force over an area you can...
a. Increase the size of the force
b. Decrease the area the force is acting over

Sharpening knives decreases the

surface area of the cutting edge
which increases the pressure
exerted by the knife making it
easier to cut through objects

Pressure (Pa) = Force (N)

Area(m2)

Example 1

An elephant has a weight of 40 000N. Each of its feet covers an area of 125cm2. If the
elephant has all four feet on the ground, what pressure will the elephant put upon the
ground?
Pressure = Force
Area
Total area = 4 x 125cm2 = 500cm2
Pressure = 40 000N
500cm2
Pressure = 80N/cm2
Liquid Pressure
As you move down the measuring cylinder the water is pushed out
with greater force because for liquids and gases the pressure
increases with depth. This is because the lower down you are in a
liquid or a gas, the greater weight of substance above there is
pushing down on the liquid or gas, hence the greater the pressure.

Liquid Pressure (Pa) = h (height) x g x ρ (density)

Hydraulics
Piston 1 Piston 2

F1
A1 F2 A small force (F1) exerted by piston
A2 one downwards, which has a small
area (A1), increases the pressure (P1)
in the fluid and is multiplied into a
large force (F2) by piston two, which
has a large area (A2).

P1 = P2 ( The pressure on both sides will be the same)

P1 = P2

F1 / A1= F2 / A2

Example 2
Refer to the above diagram
If F1 = 5N, A1 = 0.2m2 , A2 = 1.2m2 find F2 = ?

Solution

P1 = P2

F1 / A1= F2 / A2

5/0.2 = F2 /1.2

F2= 30N
Boyle’s Law
For a fixed mass of gas at a fixed temperature the volume is inversely proportional to
the pressure.

Boyles law implies that if you increase pressure then volume will decrease.

P1V1 = P2V2

Example 3
A gas of volume 30cm3 has a pressure of 3kPa, when the same mass of gas is compressed
to 15cm3, what is the new pressure of the gas? Assume the temperature is constant

P1V1 = P2V2

3000 x 30 = P2 x 15

P2= 6000Pa

Example 4
A bubble of air is formed at the base of the sea. At that moment, its volume is 24cm3 and
it experiences a pressure of 300cm Hg.
Calculate the volume of the bubble when it reaches the surface of the sea.
(Assume atmospheric pressure is 76cm Hg)

P1V1 = P2V2

300 x 24 = 76 x V2

V2= 94.74cm3
The U-tube manometer is used to measure gas pressure

10cm
10cm

Pgas =Patmos
Gas pressure is greater than atmospheric pressure
Gas pressure = 20cm + atmospheric pressure

10cm 10cm

Gas pressure is less than atmospheric pressure

Gas pressure = atmospheric pressure 20cm
 • Simple mercury barometer and its use in measuring atmospheric pressure

The pressure here is 0 because this is a

vacuum

The atmospheric
pressure pushes
the mercury
downwards

This height measures the

atmospheric pressure

Remember- the thicker tube will give the same atmospheric pressure
reading

Example 1
Example 2

P = h g d = 2 x 10 x 1000 = 20 000Pa

P = F/A
A=F/P =50/20000
= 0.0025Pa

The gravitational potential energy is converted in kinetic ,

heat and sound energy
Example 3