1 PRESSURE

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CHAPTER 6 PRESSURE

PRESSURE IN SOLID PRESSURE IN GAS

Pressure (p) or stress is defined as the perpendicular force (F) acting The magnitude of gas pressure can be measured using the following
on unit area of a surface or the force per unit area (A). devices:
 Simple Mercury Barometer
force Atmospheric pressure can be measured using a simple mercury
pressure = barometer. A simple mercury barometer can be made with a
area
clean, dry, thick-walled glass tube about 1.0 m long.
=

–2
The SI unit for pressure is Newton per square metre (N m ). This
unit is also called the Pascal (Pa).

Hydraulic System
Figure below shows how a simple hydraulic press works. A small
force applied to the small piston can lift a greater load on the large The atmospheric pressure at sea level is able to support a column
piston. of mercury 760 mm high. (Density of mercury = 13600 kg m – 3)
Atmospheric pressure =hρg
= 0.760 × 13600 × 10
= 1.03 × 105 Pa

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

From the figure above, based on Pascal’s principle, the pressure at

small piston is the same as the large one.

P1 = P2

=
Taking the value of atmospheric pressure as 100 000 Pa, the
density of water as 1000 kg m – 3, and the gravitational field
= strength as 10 N kg – 1, the height of the column of water which
air pressure will support can be calculated.

Pressure = h ρ g
PRESSURE IN LIQUID / HYDROSTATIC PRESSURE 100 000 Pa = h × 1000 kg m – 3 × 10 N kg – 1
A liquid exerts pressure because of its weight. The pressure inside a h = 10 m
volume of liquid depends on the depth below the surface of the
liquid.
 Manometer
= A manometer consists of a U – tube containing a liquid (either
mercury, water or oil). It is used to measure gas pressure.
Where P = pressure (Pa)
= density (kg/m3)
atmospheric
pressure , P atm
gas
g = gravitational field strength (m/s2) chamber

h = depth (m)
B A

The pressure at one depth in a liquid acts equally in all directions.

When water is poured into a tin with similar holes all round it at the
same level, it spurts out equally fast and reaches the same distance
away from each hole.
mercury

The pressure exerted by a confined gas changes the levels of the

mercury in the manometer. The total pressure of a gas or liquid
is the total pressure it exerts, including the effect of atmospheric
pressure (Patm ).
When the manometer is not connected to any gas supply, the
liquid levels at A and B are equal since atmospheric pressure
acts on both surfaces of the liquid.
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When one end of the tube is connected to a gas supply, the 4. From the diagram below, calculate the pressure P
pressure exerted by the gas changes the levels of the liquid:
 If the gas pressure is greater than the atmospheric pressure,
it will drive down the liquid level at B.

P gas = P atm + ρ g Δh

atmospheric
pressure , P atm
gas
chamber

h
a. 900 mmHg c. 990 mmHg
B A
b. 925 mmHg d. 1125 mmHg

5. A manometer is filled with mercury, water and oil as shown

mercury below. Given that the density of mercury, water and oil are
13 600 kgm-3, 1000 kgm-3 and 800 kgm-3 respectively, calculate
 If the gas pressure is lower than the atmospheric pressure, it the height h
will drive down the liquid level at A.

P gas = P atm – ρ g Δh

atmospheric
pressure , P atm
gas
chamber

a. 13.0 cm c. 18.5 cm
h
b. 16.3 cm d. 95.0 cm
B A
ESSAY
1. If the pressure exerted on a floor by a box is 200 kPa, find the
mercury weight of the box, given that the bottom of the box has a contact
area of 20 cm2.
Exercise
MCQ 2. When a barometer of mercury (density, ρ) is set up on Earth (e),
1. A cube of side x rests on the floor as shown. Given that the the recorded height of the mercury is h. The barometer is set up
pressure exerted by this cube on the floor is P, what is the on another planet (o) where the gravitational field strength is
pressure exerted by another cube of the same material of side 4x? triple that on Earth (g) and the atmospheric pressure is half that
(take g = 10 Nkg-1) on Earth (P). What is the height of mercury recorded?
a. P c. 4P
b. 2P d. 16P 3. An open U – tube contains mercury (density, ρm) and oil (density,
ρo) as shown.
2. A manometer is connected to an air pump as shown. Given that atmospheric
pressure , P atm
the atmospheric pressure is 100 000 Pa and P is 2.36 x 105 Pa,
what is the density of the liquid used in the manometer?
(take g = 10Nkg-1)
oil

y
A

mercury

a. 1000 kgm-3 c. 13 600 kgm-3 Find, in terms of ρm and ρo, the ratio of their heights,
b. 10 000 kgm-3 d. 23 600 kgm-3
4. A hydraulic press is used to lift a car as shown. A force of
3. The diagram shows a water manometer. Pressures of (P + 12) 1000 N is exerted on the small piston with an area of 0.50 m2.
mmHg and P mmHg are exerted at the right and left tubes The large piston has an area of 6.0 m2.
respectively. What will happen to water level in the left tube
when the pressure at the right tube decrease to (P + 6) mmHg?
(take density of mercury = 13 600 kg m-3; g = 10 ms-2)

Calculate:
a. The pressure exerted on the small piston;
b. The weight of the car; and
c. The mass of the car.

a. Decrease 3 mm c. decrease 41 mm 5. Mass of a woodblock with length 1.5 m, width 2 m and height
b. Decrease 6 mm d. decrease 82 mm 4 m is 2400 kg (g = 10 m/s2).
a. Calculate the maximum pressure exerted by the woodblock
b. Calculate the minimum pressure exerted by the woodblock
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6. A tank of base area 0.5 m2 is filled with a layer of water 0.2 m

deep and a layer of oil 0.3 m deep. The weight of the water and
oil are 1000 N and 1200 N respectively. What is the pressure on
the base of the tank? (atmospheric pressure = 105 Pa)

oil 0.3 m

water 0.2 m

2
0.5 m

7. Figure below shows a simplified form a hydraulic press.

A force of 50 N is applied to the smaller piston of 0.01 m2.

a. The larger piston has an area of 0.20 m2. Calculate :

i. The pressure exerted on the liquid by the smaller piston,
ii. The pressure exerted on the larger piston,
iii. The load that can be lifted.

b. If the smaller piston is pushed down through a distance of

10 cm, how much will the larger piston move up?