Water Pressure

and
Pressure Force

By: DAHN F. SUAN

Instructor
A microscopic view
Solid
rigid body

Liquid
Fluid
Incompressible

Gas
Fluid
compressible
What new physics is involved?

• Fluids can flow from

place-to-place

• Their density can change

if they are compressible
(for example, gasses)

• Fluids are pushed around

by pressure forces

• An object immersed in a
fluid experiences
buoyancy
 Density
• The density of a fluid is the concentration of mass

• Mass = 100 g = 0.1 kg

• Volume = 100 cm3 = 10-4 m3

• Density = 1 g/cm3 = 1000 kg m3

The shown cubic vessels contain the stated
matter. Which fluid has the highest density ?
 Pressure
• Pressure is the concentration of a
force – the force exerted per unit
area

Exerts a pressure on the

Greater pressure! sides and through the fluid
(same force, less area)
 Pressure

• Units of pressure are N/m2 or Pascals (Pa) – 1 N/m2 = 1 Pa

• Atmospheric pressure = 1 atm = 101.3 kPa = 1 x 105 N/m2

 Hydrostatic Equilibrium

• Pressure differences drive fluid flow

• If a fluid is in equilibrium, pressure forces must balance

• Pascal’s law: pressure change is transmitted through a fluid

 Hydrostatic Equilibrium with Gravity
Derivation:

Pressure in a fluid is equal to the weight of the fluid per unit area above it:
Sample Problem #1

maximum depth at which it can with stand 70 atm pressure?

Calculating Crush Depth of a Submarine

 Measuring Pressure

Atmospheric pressure can support a 10 meters high

column of water. Moving to higher density fluids
allows a table top barometer to be easily constructed.
Sample Problem #2

Pascal’s Law
• Pressure force is transmitted through a fluid

A
F 2 A
2 1

P2 = P1
F2/A2 = F1/A1
F1 = (F2/A2)(A1)
Sample Problem #3

A manometer connected to a pipe indicates a

negative gauge pressure of 70 mm of mercury .
What is the pressure in the pipe in N/m2 ?

Density mercury = 13600 kg/m3

P(pipe) = P(abs) = P(atm) + P(guage)

= 760 mm Hg + -70 mm Hg
= 690 mm Hg

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 2.1 Free Surface of Water
• A horizontal surface upon which the pressure is
constant every where.

• Free surface of water in a vessel may be subjected to:

- atmospheric pressure (open vessel) or,
- any other pressure that is exerted in the vessel (closed
vessel).

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 2.2 Absolute and Gage Pressures
• Atmospheric pressure is approximately equal to a
10.33-m-high column of water at sea level.
• Any object located below the water surface is
subjected to a pressure greater than the atmospheric
pressure (P > Patm).

Let:

 dA = cross-sectional area of
the prism.
 the prism is at rest. So, all
forces acting upon it must be in
equilibrium in all directions.

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Equilibrium in x- direction:
Fx = PA dA – PB dA + g L dA sin q = 0

PB – PA = g h The difference in pressure between any

two points in still water is always equal to:
the product of the specific weight of water
(g) and the difference in elevation between
the two points (h).

Notice that:
• If the two points are on the same elevation, h = 0
PA=PB
• In other words, for water at rest, the pressure at all points
in a horizontal plane is the same.

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If the water body has a free surface that is exposed to
atmospheric pressure, Patm. Point A is positioned on the free
surface such that PA= Patm
(PB )abs= PA + g h = Patm + g h = absolute pressure

 Pressure gages: are usually designed to measure

pressures above or below the atmospheric pressure.

 Gage pressure: is the pressure measured with respect to

atmospheric pressure (using atmospheric pressure as a
base).

 Absolute pressure: Pabs = Pgage + Patm

 Pressure head, h = P/g

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The difference in pressure heads at two points in water at
rest is always equal to the difference in elevation between the
two points.
(PB /g) – (PA /g) = D(h)

Notice that:
• Any change in pressure at point B would cause an equal
change at point A, because the difference in pressure head
between the two points must remain constant = h.

Pascal's law :
A pressure applied at any point in a liquid at rest is
transmitted equally and undiminished in all directions
to every other point in the liquid.
This principle has been made use of in the hydraulic jacks
that lift heavy weights by applying relatively small forces.
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Sample Problem #4

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Solution

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 2.3 Surface of Equal Pressure
• The hydrostatic pressure in a body of water varies with the
vertical distance measured from the free surface of the
water body.
• All points on a horizontal surface in the water have the
same pressure.

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 2.4 Manometers
A manometer
Is a tube bent in the form of a U containing a fluid of known
specific gravity. The difference in elevations of the liquid
surfaces under pressure indicates the difference in pressure
at the two ends.

Two types of manometers:

1. An open manometer: has one end open to atmospheric
pressure and is capable of measuring the gage pressure
in a vessel.
2. A differential manometer: connects each end to a
different pressure vessel and is capable of measuring the
pressure difference between the two vessels.
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• The liquid used in a manometer is usually heavier than the
fluids to be measured. It must not mix with the adjacent
liquids (i.e., immiscible liquids).

• The most used liquids are:

- Mercury (specific gravity = 13.6),
- Water (sp. gr. = 1.00),
- Alcohol (sp. gr. = 0.9), and
- Other commercial manometer oils of various specific
gravities.

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A simple step-by-step procedure for pressure computation
Step1: Make a sketch of the manometer system
approximately to scale.

Step 2: Draw a horizontal line at the level of the lower surface

of the manometer liquid, M. The pressure at points 1 and
2 must be the same since the system is in static
equilibrium.

Step 3:
a) For open manometers
P2 = P1
gM.h = gW.y + PA

PA = gM.h - gW.y

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A simple step-by-step procedure for pressure computation

b) For a differential manometers

P2 = P1
gM.h + gw .(y - h) + PB = gW.y + PA

DP = PA – PB = h (gM - gw )

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Sample Problem #5
Determine the pressure
difference DP

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Solution

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Sample Problem #6
• Two pipes on the same elevation convey water and oil of specific
gravity 0.88 respectively. They are connected by a U-tube
manometer with the manometric liquid having a specific gravity of
1.25. If the manometric liquid in the limb connecting the water pipe
is 2 m higher than the other find the pressure difference in two
pipes.

Given data:
Height difference = 2 m
Specific gravity of oil
s = 0.88
gravity of manometric liquid
s = 1.25

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Sample Problem #7
• As shown in figure water flows through pipe A and B. The pressure
difference of these two points is to be measured by multiple tube
manometers. Oil with specific gravity 0.88 is in the upper portion of
inverted U-tube and mercury in the bottom of both bends.
Determine the pressure difference.

Given data:
Specific gravity of the oil in
the inverted tube 0.88
Specific gravity of Mercury in
the U-tube13.6

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Single-reading manometer A differential manometer
installed in a flow - measured system

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