1.8 Pressure

PRESSURE
Pressure
•

Practical Units of Pressure
Kilo Pascals (kPa) = 1000 Pa = 103 Pa
Mega Pascals (MPa) = 1000000 Pa = 106 Pa
Giga Pascals (GPa) = 1000000000 Pa = 109 Pa

Pressure Formula
Pressure (Pa) = Force (N)
Area(m2)
1 Pa = 1 N/m2
Pressure (N/m2) = Force (N)

Area(m2)
Pressure can also be measured in atmospheres (atm)
A pressure of one atmosphere is equivalent to

atmospheric pressure at sea-level on Earth
1 atm = 1.01 x 105 Pa

H = 15 m
W = 10 m
L = 20 m
Increasing 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...
Increase the size of the force
Decrease the area the force is acting over
Eg: 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
Decreasing Pressure
Pressure is a measure of how spread out a force is over a
specific area.
If you wish to decrease the pressure exerted by a force over an
area you can...
Decrease the size of the force
Increase the area the force is acting over
Eg:Tractors are often heavy and work a lot of the time on soft
mud. By having tyres with a large surface area in contact with
the ground this decreases the pressure the tractor exerts on the
ground making it less likely the tractor will sink into mud etc
Example I
An elephant has a weight of 40 000N. Each of its feet covers an area of
1.25m2. If the elephant has all four feet on the ground, what pressure will
the elephant put upon the ground?
Pressure = Force Total area = 4 x 1.25cm2

Area Total area = 5m2
Pressure = 40 000N
5 m2
Pressure = 8000 Pa
Example II
A skier has an unknown weight. Each ski covers an area 0.38m2. If
the skier has both skis on the ground and a pressure of 1140Pa is
put upon the snow what is the weight of the skier?
Force = Pressure x area

Total area = 2 x 0.38m2
Force = 1 140 x 0.76 N
Area of one ski = 0.76m2
Force = 866.4N
Weight of skier = 866.4N

Example III
A skier has a weight of 700N. Each ski covers an unknown area. If the
skier has both skis on the ground and a pressure of 1 900Pa is put
upon the snow what is the area covered by each ski?
Area = Force
Pressure
Area = 700N
1 900Pa
Total area = 0.37m2
Area = 0.37m2 Area of one ski = 0.185m2
Exercise 1: Pressure
Use your knowledge of pressure to explain why

camels have feet with a large surface area.

birds of prey have sharp beaks and talons.

knives are sharpened on a regular basis.
Answers
1. Why do camels have feet with a large area?
Camels are often heavy and can spend a lot of their time
on sand and other soft ground. By having feet with a large
surface area in contact with the ground this decreases the
pressure the camel exerts on the ground making it less
likely the camel will sink into sand.
2. Why do eagles have sharp beaks and talons?
Eagles have sharp beaks and talons because this decreases

the surface area of the cutting edge which increases the
pressure exerted by the beak and claws making it easier to
cut through flesh.
Exercise 5: Pressure Formula
1. What is the formula that relates pressure, force and area?
Pressure = Force
Area
2. What are the units of force?
Newtons (N)
3. What are the units of area?
Centimetres squared - cm2, metres squared - m2

4. What are the units of pressure?
N/cm2, N/m2 , Pascals (Pa) and atmospheres (atm)

5. What pressure is created by a force of 14N acting over an area
of 4m2?
3.5N/m2
Exercise 6: Pressure Formula
1. What pressure is created by a force of 24N acting over an area
of 5m2?
4.8N/m2 or 4.8Pa
2. What pressure is created by a force of 1 400N acting over an
area of 3cm2?
466.7N/cm2
area of 60cm2?
50N/cm2
4. What pressure is created by a force of 2N acting over an area of
10m2?
0.2N/m2 or 0.2Pa
Exercise 7: Pressure and Ice
1. A boy of weight 600N stands on some ice – something you
should never do as it is very dangerous – each of the boy’s feet
has an area of 72cm2. What pressure does the boy’s feet put
upon the ice? The ice will break under a pressure of 7N/cm2, will
the ice break?
This would put a pressure of 8.33N/cm2 on the ice so yes
the ice would break
2. The boy from question one then stands on his tip-toes and his
feet now have a total area of 20cm2 in contact with the ice. What
pressure does the boy now put upon the ice? Will the ice break?
30N/cm2, yes the ice will break
3. If the boy stood on one foot would the ice break?
4.17N/cm2, no the ice will not break
Exercise 8: Pressure and Feet
1. A boy of mass 25kg has feet which have an area of 100cm2 in
contact with the ground. What pressure does the boy put on the
ground when standing on two feet?
2.5N/cm2
2. A girl of mass 37.5kg has feet which have an area of 124.6cm2
in contact with the ground. What pressure does the girl put on
the ground when standing on two feet?
3.01N/cm2
3. A dog of mass 4.5kg has four feet. Each foot has an area of
17.4cm2 in contact with the ground. What pressure does the dog
put on the ground when standing on a) four feet, b) two feet?
a) 0.65N/cm2
b) 1.29N/cm2
Weight (N) = mass (kg) x gravitational field strength (N/kg)
On Earth the gravitational field strength is 10 N/kg
To leave an impression in some hard sand requires
a pressure of at least 0.07N/cm2.
Three different birds land on the sand.
Bird A weighs 0.1kg, has feet of total area 12cm2
Bird B weighs 0.05kg, has feet of total area 8cm2
Bird C weighs 0.82kg, has feet of total area 45.2cm2
Which birds, if any, will leave an impression in the sand?
Weight (N) = mass (kg) x gravitational field strength (N/kg)
On Earth the gravitational field strength is 10 N/kg

Exercise 10: Pressure Calculations
1. Over what area must a force of 6N act to create a pressure of
4 000Pa?
0.0015m2
2. Over what area must a force of 60 000N act to create a pressure
of 40 kPa (1kPa = 1 000Pa)?
1.5m2
of 100Pa?
200m2
4. Over what area must a force of 17.5N act to create a pressure of
1.5kPa?
0.0117m2
1. What sized force will create a pressure of 3kPa over an area of
2m2?
6 000N
2. What sized force will create a pressure of 2.3kPa over an area
of 0.32m2?
736N
3. What sized force will create a pressure of 4Pa over an area of

0.04m2?
0.16N
4. What sized force will create a pressure of 100kPa over an area

of 1m2?
100 000N
of 2 kPa (1kPa = 1 000Pa)?
10m2
2. What sized force will create a pressure of 30 Pa over an area of
1.4m2?
42N
area of 0.2m2?
10 000N/m2 or 10kPa
4. What sized force will create a pressure of 300 000Pa over an
area of 2.4m2?
720 000N
Pressure due to a Solid
•
Pressure due to a Liquid
•
Liquid Pressure
1. Pressure in a liquid increases with depth.
The deeper you go, the greater is the weight of the liquid above.
2. Pressure at one depth acts equally in all directions.

3. A liquid finds its own level.
4. Pressure depends on the density of the liquid.

• Denser the liquid, greater the pressure at any given depth
Pressure in liquids
• 1.Pressure in a liquid increases with the
vertical depth below the surface.
• 2.The pressure acting equally in all
directions.
• 3.Pressure depends on the density of the
liquid.
• 4.pressure doesn’t depends on the shape of
the liquid.
Pressure depends Pressure does not
on depend on
• Height of the liquid • Shape of the
above. container
• Direction-it is equal
Density of liquid in all direction
Hydraulic Machines / Pascals Law
•
Atmospheric Pressure
• The pressure exerted by the atmosphere on all surfaces in contact
with it.
• At sea level the pressure is maximum.
• As the altitude increases pressure decreases.
 At the mountain tops, the atmospheric pressure is less.
• Example 1: a packet of crisps is packed at the sea level and when it

is taken to the mountain top- what do you observe? Explain.
 When the packet was packed at the sea level, the inside pressure
was equal to the atmospheric pressure.
 When it is taken to the mountain top, inside pressure remains the
same , but outside atmospheric pressure decreases.
 Therefore, there is an excess pressure outwards by which the packet
expands until the inside pressure reduces to the outside pressure.
• Example 2: Air bubble expands when it rises in a liquid.
vacuum
Capillary
tube
An instrument that measures atmospheric pressure

using liquid mercury.
Atmospheric Pressure = 0.76m pressure of
Mercury (Hg)
= hρg
= 0.76m x 13600kg/m3 x 10 m/s2
= 1.01 x 105 Pa
Explain why water cannot
be used in a barometer?
•
• Tilting the glass tube doesn’t affect the height
of the mercury.
• Pushing the glass tube further into bowl

doesn’t affect the height of the mercury.
• Using a wider glass tube doesn’t affect the

height of the mercury.
Manometer
Device used to measure pressure of a gas enclosed in
a container.
It is made from a U-shaped tube of liquid in

which the difference in pressure acting on the
two straight sections of the tube causes the liquid
to reach different heights in the two arms.
Pgas = Patm + h ρ g Pgas = Patm
Pgas = Patm - h ρ g
• If the gas pressure (from the gas supply)
is greater than the atmospheric pressure (as shown
by the image above), it will drive down the liquid level
in the left side of the manometer. The pressure of the
gas, Pgas
• If the gas pressure (from the gas supply)

is smaller than the atmospheric pressure, it will drive
down the liquid level in the right side of the
manometer. The pressure of the gas, Pgas

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PRESSURE

Kilo Pascals (kPa) = 1000 Pa = 103 Pa

Mega Pascals (MPa) = 1000000 Pa = 106 Pa

Giga Pascals (GPa) = 1000000000 Pa = 109 Pa

Pressure (N/m2) = Force (N)

Pressure can also be measured in atmospheres (atm)

A pressure of one atmosphere is equivalent to

If you wish to increase the pressure exerted by a force over an

Increase the size of the force

Decrease the area the force is acting over

Eg: Sharpening knives decreases the surface area of the

Decrease the size of the force

Increase the area the force is acting over

Pressure = Force Total area = 4 x 1.25cm2

Force = Pressure x area

Weight of skier = 866.4N

Use your knowledge of pressure to explain why

Use your knowledge of pressure to explain why

Use your knowledge of pressure to explain why

2. Why do eagles have sharp beaks and talons?

Eagles have sharp beaks and talons because this decreases

Centimetres squared - cm2, metres squared - m2

N/cm2, N/m2 , Pascals (Pa) and atmospheres (atm)

Bird B weighs 0.05kg, has feet of total area 8cm2

Bird C weighs 0.82kg, has feet of total area 45.2cm2

Which birds, if any, will leave an impression in the sand?

Weight (N) = mass (kg) x gravitational field strength (N/kg)

On Earth the gravitational field strength is 10 N/kg

3. What sized force will create a pressure of 4Pa over an area of

4. What sized force will create a pressure of 100kPa over an area

2. Pressure at one depth acts equally in all directions.

4. Pressure depends on the density of the liquid.

• Example 1: a packet of crisps is packed at the sea level and when it

An instrument that measures atmospheric pressure

• Pushing the glass tube further into bowl

• Using a wider glass tube doesn’t affect the

It is made from a U-shaped tube of liquid in

• If the gas pressure (from the gas supply)

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