Pressure

• Pressure is the force acting

normally per unit area
• Pressure = Force
F
• Area
P A
• P = F/A
• SI Unit: Pascal (Pa) or
Newton per square metre (N/m2)
 Example 1
• The weight of a man is 600 N.
Calculate the pressure he exerted on
the floor if he is wearing a pair of
track shoes and the area of contact of
each shoe with the ground is 0.02 m2.
• Pressure = F/A
• = 600/(2x0.02) =15 000 Pa
 Example 2

• A rectangular block of dimension

50cm by 30cm by 20 cm has a
mass of 4 kg. Calculate the
maximum and minimum pressure
it can exert on the floor.
 30 cm
20 cm
50 cm
Example 2

• Weight of block
• = mg = 6 x 10 = 60 N
• Maximum pressure exerted
• = F/A(min)
• = 60/(0.2 x 0.3) = 1000 Pa
 50 cm
30 cm Example 2
20 cm

• Minimum pressure exerted

• = F/A(max)
• = 60/ (0.5 x 0.3)
• = 400 Pa
 Liquid Pressure

• The pressure inside a volume of

liquid depends on the depth below
the surface of the liquid.
• The deeper it is, the greater the
weight of the overlying liquid, and
thus the greater the pressure.
Example 1: Liquid pressure
increases with depth
 Example 2: Liquid pressure
increases with depth

land Dam
water

• The thickness of the wall of dam

increases downwards because the
deeper it is, the greater the water
pressure.
 Liquid Pressure: Formula
• The pressure at any point in a liquid
at rest is given by:
• Pressure = hpg
• where h = height of liquid in metre
• p = density of liquid kg/m3
• g = gravitational acceleration in
N/kg or m/s2
 Proof
Area A

height h Density p

• Consider a cylindrical container of

of area, A, filled with liquid of
density, p, to a height, h
 Proof

• Volume of liquid = Ah
• Weight of liquid
• = mg = Vpg = Ahpg
• Pressure on base
Area A
• = Force/ Area
= Ahpg/ A = pgh height h
• Density p
 Liquid Pressure

• Pressure, P = hpg
• Pressure at any point in a liquid is
independent of the cross-sectional
area
 Liquid Pressure

• A liquid always find its own level

• (Liquid will flow to equalise any
pressure difference)
 Liquid Pressure

• All points on the same level in a

liquid have the same pressure
 Liquid Pressure

liquid

• Pressure at any one depth in a

liquid acts equally in all directions
Water
tank Example 1
12 m

• The water level in a water tank is

12 m above the tap. What pressure
forces water out from the tap?
(Density of water = 1000 kg/m3).
Water
tank Example 1
12 m

• Pressure at the tap is due to the

water in the pipe above it.
• Pressure = hpg
• = 12 x 1000 x 10 = 120 000 Pa
 0.2 m Example 2
0.5 m object

• A regular shaped object is immersed in

water of density 1000 kg/m3.
• (a) Calculate the water pressure at the
top and the bottom of the object.
• (b) What is the resultant pressure on the
object?
 0.2 m
0.5 m object Example 2

• (a) Pressure exerted by water at the

top surface of the object
• = h1pg
• 0.2 x 1000 x 10 = 2000 Pa
 0.2 m
0.5 m object Example 2

• Pressure exerted by water at the

bottom surface of the object
• = h2pg
• = 0.5 x 1000 x 10
• = 5000 Pa
 0.2 m
0.5 m object Example 2

• Resultant pressure on the object

• = 5000 - 2000
• = 3000 Pa (The object experiences
an upward force)
 Atmospheric Pressure
• The atmosphere is the layer of air
surrounding the Earth. It extends up
to 1000 km above the Earth surface.
• The weight of the air exerts a
pressure on the surface of the Earth.
This pressure is called the
atmospheric pressure
 Atmospheric Pressure

• The atmospheric pressure

is about 1.03 x 105 Pa or 105 Pa
• or 10 m of water
• or 0.76 m of mercury (760 mmHg)
 Simple Mercury Barometer

• The atmospheric pressure can be

measured using a simple mercury
barometer
vacuum

760 mm

mercury
 Simple Mercury Barometer

• Height of mercury column for the

mercury barometer:
• Pressure = hpg
• 103 000 Pa = h x 13 600 kg/m3 x 10 N/kg
• h = 0.76 mHg
 Water Barometer

• Water can be used in a barometer

instead of mercury. However, the
glass tube used need to be much
longer because water has a much
lower density than mercury.
 Water Barometer

• If water barometer is used, the height

of the water column will be:
• Pressure = hpg
• 100 000 Pa = h x 1000 kg/m3 x 10 N/kg
• h = 10 m
 A
Mercury Barometer
0.2 m
B 0.76 m

C
0.3 m
D

• Determine the pressure at points A,

B, C and D
 A
Mercury Barometer
0.2 m
B 0.76 m

C
0.3 m
D

• Pressure at A = 0 mmHg
• Pressure at B = 0.2 mHg
• = hpg = 0.2 x 13600 x 10
• = 27200 Pa = 27.2 kPa
 A
Mercury Barometer
0.2 m
B 0.76 m

C
0.3 m
D

• Pressure at C = 0.76 mHg

• Pressure at D = (0.76 + 0.3) mHg
• = 1.06 mHg
 Pressure Difference
• Manometer
• A manometer consists of a U-tube
containing liquid and it is used to
measure differences in gas or liquid
pressure
To gas
supply
X Y

Mercury
 Manometer
To gas
supply
X Y

Mercury

• The height difference XY tells how

much the gas pressure is different
from atmospheric pressure
To gas
Example 1
Y
supply
12 cm
X Z
Mercury

• There is no pressure difference

between X and Z
• Pressure difference between XY
• = 12 cm Hg
 To gas
Example 1
Y
supply
12 cm
X Z
Mercury

• If atmospheric pressure is 76 cm Hg
• Then Gas Pressure = pressure of X or Z
• = (76 + 12) cm Hg
• = 88 cm Hg
methylated
spirit
water
Example 2
15 cm
12 cm
B A
mercury

• A U-tube with some mercury at the bottom

is set up vertically and 12 cm of water is
added into one arm of the tube. Methylated
spirit is then added carefully into the other
arm of the U-tube until the mercury level
are the same in both arm.
methylated
spirit
water
Example 2
15 cm
12 cm
B A
mercury

• It is observed that the level of methylated

spirit is higher. What is the density of
methylated spirit if the methylated spirit
column is 15 cm high? (Density of water =
1000 kg/cm3)
 Example 2
• Let
• hw = height of water column from level A
• hm = height of methylated spirit column from
methylated
level B
spirit
• PA = pressure at level A
• PB = pressure at level B water
15 cm
12 cm
• Pa = atmospheric pressure
B A
• pw =density of water
• pm = density of methylated spirit mercury
 Example 2
methylated
• PA = Pa + hwpwg spirit
• PB = Pa + hmpmg
water
• But PB = PA 15 cm
12 cm
• Pa + hmpmg = Pa + hwpwg B A
• 0.15 x pm x g = 0.12 x 1000 x g
• 0.15 pm = 0.12 x 1000 mercury

• pm = 800 kg/m3
 Hydraulic Systems
• Hydraulic system work by using
liquid pressure. They make use of
two properties of liquid
1. Liquids are incompressible.
2. If pressure is applied to a trapped
liquid, the pressure is transmitted
to all parts of the liquid.
 Simple Hydraulic Systems

Applied force
Output force

small area
piston
Large area
piston
 Hydraulic Systems

• When a force of 20 N is applied to

a small piston of 0.01 m2, the
pressure exerted on the liquid is
given by
• Pressure = Force/ Area
• = 20/ 0.01 = 2000 Pa
 Hydraulic Systems

• This pressure is transmitted to the

larger piston. If the larger piston has an
area of 0.1 m2, the force on the large
piston is
• Force = pressure x area
• = 2000 x 0.1
• = 200 N
 Pressure - Volume Relationship
of a gas
• Boyle’s Law states that
• for a fixed mass of gas at constant
temperature, the pressure is
inversely proportional to the
volume.
• P α 1/V
• or P = k/V where k is a constant
 P - V Relationship of a gas

• P = k/V
• When a graph of Pressure against Volume
is plotted, the graph is as follows

V
 P - V Relationship of a gas

• P = k/V
• When P is plotted against 1/V, a
straight line is obtained as shown

1/V
 P - V Relationship of a gas
• Since P = k/V
• PV = k
• Thus, P1V1 = P2V2

P1V1

P2
V2
 Example 1

• If a given mass of gas has a volume

of 4.5 x 10-5 m3 at a pressure of 30
kPa, what will be the volume of the
gas if the pressure is increased to 50
kPa while the temperature is kept
constant?
 Example 1

• By Boyle’s law, PV = constant

• Thus, P2V2 = P1V1
• 50 x V2 = 30 x (4.5 x 10-5 )
• V2 = 30 x (4.5 x 10-5 )/ 50
• V2 = 2.7 x 10-5 m3
 45 cm

Example 2
15 cm

• A bicycle pump of length 45 cm as

shown contains air with a pressure of
100 kPa. In order to force air into the
tyre, it is necessary to move the piston
15 cm down the barrel. What is the
pressure inside the tyre assuming the
temperature is kept constant?
 45 cm

Example 2
15 cm

• Let the cross-sectional area of

bicycle pump be A cm2
• Thus, V1 = (45 x A) cm3
• V2 = (30 x A) cm3
 45 cm

Example 2
15 cm

• Apply Boyle’s law

• P2V2 = P1V1
• P2 x 30A = 100 x 45A
• P2 = (100 x 45A)/30A
• P2 = 150 kPa
 Example 3

• An air bubble at the bottom of a

lake 40 m deep has a volume of 1.5
cm3. What si the volume of the air
bubble when it rises to the surface
of the lake? (Atmospheric pressure
is about 10 m of water)
 Example 3
• Pressure at lake surface
• = Atmospheric pressure
• = 10 m of water
• Pressure at bottom of lake
• = Atmospheric pressure + pressure
exerted by 40 m of water
• = 10 + 40 = 50 m of water
 Example 3

• Applying Boyle’s law,

• P1V1 = P2V2
• 10 x V1 = 50 x 1.5
• V1 = (50 x 1.5)/10
• V1 = 7.5 cm3