PRESSURE

Edited by Ms Shivani Kaur Sihra

PHYSICS – Pressure
 What would be more
painful?

Being trodden on by a 55kg woman

wearing stiletto heels?
 What would be more
painful?

Being trodden on by a 55kg woman Or being trodden on by a 3 tonne

wearing stiletto heels? elephant?
 What would be more
painful?

Being trodden on by a 55kg woman Or being trodden on by a 3 tonne

wearing stiletto heels? elephant?

The woman’s foot in the stiletto heel! The whole of the woman’s weight
is concentrated on a very small area, whereas the elephant’s weight is
much more spread out – it exerts less pressure!
Experiment with sand and
metal block DEMO
Calculating pressure
Pressure = Force
area
Calculating pressure
Pressure = Force
area
Force is measured in Newtons
(N)
Calculating pressure
Pressure = Force
area
Force is measured in Newtons
(N)
Area is measured in metres (m)
Calculating pressure
Pressure = Force
area
Force is measured in Newtons
(N)
Area is measured in metres (m)

The unit of pressure is Newtons

per square metre (N/m2)
Calculating pressure
Pressure = Force
area
Another name for Newton per
metre squared is the Pascal (Pa)
 Calculating pressure
1. A box on the floor has a weight
of 250 newtons. The area that
the box rests on is 0.25m2.
calculate the pressure under the
box

2. A hose causes a force of

8000N from the water over an
area of 0.5m by 0.5m. Calculate
the pressure.
 Calculating pressure
1. A box on the floor has a weight Pressure = F
of 250 newtons. The area that A
the box rests on is 0.25m2. = 250/0.25
calculate the pressure under the = 1000N/m2
box

2. A hose causes a force of

8000N from the water over an
area of 0.5m by 0.5m. Calculate
the pressure.
 Calculating pressure
1. A box on the floor has a weight Pressure = F
of 250 newtons. The area that A
the box rests on is 0.25m2. = 250/0.25
calculate the pressure under the = 1000N/m2
box

2. A hose causes a force of Pressure = F

8000N from the water over an A
area of 0.5m by 0.5m. Calculate = 8000/0.25
the pressure. =32000N/m2
 Examples of Pressure

1. Increase the pressure by reducing the area.

The area under the edge of

the blade of the knife is
very small. Beneath it the
pressure is very high, so
the blade can be pushed
easily through materials
such as fruit.
 Examples of Pressure

1. Increase the pressure by reducing the area.

The area under the edge of The studs on a football boot have
the blade of the knife is a small area of contact with the
ground. This means that the
very small. Beneath it the pressure beneath the studs is
pressure is very high, so sufficient for them to sink into
the blade can be pushed the ground and provide additional
easily through materials grip.
such as fruit.
 Examples of Pressure

1. Reduce the pressure by increasing the area.

Skis have a large area to

reduce the pressure on the
snow so they do not sink in
too deep.
 Examples of Pressure

1. Reduce the pressure by increasing the area.

Skis have a large area to Wall foundations have a

reduce the pressure on the large horizontal area. This
snow so they do not sink in reduces the pressure
too deep. beneath so that the wall
does not sink deeper into
the ground.
 Problems
1. A dancer stands on tiptoe with only one foot touching the floor. She weighs 500N. The
area of contact between her foot and the floor is 10cm2. What pressure does she exert on
the floor?

2. Calculate the pressure exerted on the floor by filling cabinet weighing 420N. The
dimensions of the filing cabinet are height =1.2m, width=0.5m, depth 0.6m.

3. An emergency aid parcel had been dropped by parachute into a muddy field. The
parcel weighed 99N and its dimensions were 1.5m x 2.0m x3.0m. What is the greatest
pressure it would exert on the ground? What is the least pressure it would exert on the
ground?
Pressure in liquids

Pressure acts in all

directions
Pressure
increases
with
depth
 Pressure in liquids

The weight of the liquid causes

pressure in the container. It also
causes pressure on any object in
the liquid.

Properties:
 Pressure in liquids

The weight of the liquid causes

pressure in the container. It also
causes pressure on any object in
the liquid.

Properties:

Pressure acts in all directions.

The liquid pushes on all surfaces
it is in contact with. For a
submarine this means that
pressure is being exerted equally
on all parts of the hull.
 Pressure in liquids

The weight of the liquid causes

pressure in the container. It also
causes pressure on any object in
the liquid.

Properties:

Pressure increases with depth.

The deeper a liquid, the greater
the weight above and so the
higher the pressure. This is why
dams are built with a taper
towards a thicker base.
 Pressure in liquids

The weight of the liquid causes

pressure in the container. It also
causes pressure on any object in
the liquid.

Properties:

Pressure increases with depth.

The deeper a liquid, the greater
the weight above and so the
higher the pressure. This is why
dams are built with a taper
towards a thicker base.
Pressure depends upon the density
of the liquid. The more dense a
liquid, the higher the pressure at any
given depth.
 Pressure in liquids

The weight of the liquid causes

pressure in the container. It also
causes pressure on any object in
the liquid.

Properties:

Pressure doesn’t depend upon

the shape of the container.
The pressure at any particular
depth is the same whatever the
shape or width of the container.

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 Pressure in liquids – calculations

Pressure at any given point:

Pressure = ρgh

ρ (Greek letter ‘rho’)

g = 10 N/kg
Depth
Density = ρ h = height of liquid
=h

Base area = A
 Pressure in liquids – calculations

Pressure at any given point:

Pressure = ρgh

ρ (Greek letter ‘rho’)

g = 10 N/kg
Depth
Density = ρ h = height of liquid
=h
eg. If the density of water is 1000
kg/m3, what is the pressure due to
the water at the bottom of a
swimming pool 3m deep?

Pressure = ρgh

Pressure = 1000 x 10 x 3
Base area = A
Pressure = 30 000 Pa
Water is quite heavy so the water at the top of your bottle will compress the water
below, so the deeper you go the higher the pressure. Every 10m you go under
water the pressure increases by one atmosphere.
This means that if you make holes in the side, the water next to the deeper holes
will be pushed out much harder, so it comes out quicker and travels further.
This is why submarines and deep sea diving suits have to be so strong to avoid
being crushed.
This is also the reason that hydro-electric dams have to be deep. The higher the
pressure the more energy a kg of water releases as it flows through the turbine,
so if you have the same flow of river and double the height of your dam you will
double the amount of energy you can extract.

Hydroelectric Dam
This is also the reason that hydroelectric dams have to be so high. The deeper
the water, the higher the pressure so the more energy there is to extract.
 In the deepest ocean where the pressure may be 8 tons per sq inch, why are the
creatures which have evolved not simply crushed by the force?

When you go down into the deep sea, there's a huge amount more pressure. In fact,
the pressure increases about 1 atmosphere. So, that's one of the amount of pressure
we have on us for every 10 meters, you go down in the sea. So, it could be that deep
sea creatures have over a thousand times the pressure on them that we do. But
they've evolved to live in that pressure. And one of the things they do is that they
don't have air pockets inside them like we do. They use other things. So, their
muscles for example have lots of water in them and water isn't compressible. You
can't crush it. So, that kind of stops them from being squeezed too much. They have
lots of different changes to their physiology.
We have pressure pressing down us all the time from the air above us. And actually,
you can see how great that pressure is if you've ever seen someone suck the air out
of the inside of a can and it immediately crumples because the air pressure is strong
enough to actually crush that can. The only reason it doesn't crush it most of the
time is because that there's air inside it as well. Our bodies work the same way.
There's air inside us and there's air around us and that kind of balances out.
The Manometer

A manometer measures
pressure difference.

The height difference (h)

compares the pressure being
measured with the
h atmospheric pressure.

In this example, the

pressure being measured is
less than the atmospheric
pressure.
Hydraulics
Hydraulics
Hydraulics
Driver presses down on
jack handle here
Hydraulics
Car is
Driver presses down on lifted by
jack handle here jack here
Hydraulics
Hydraulics
Car is
Driver presses down on lifted by
jack handle here jack here

Force = 10N
Hydraulics
Car is
Driver presses down on lifted by
jack handle here jack here

Force = 10N

Area = 10cm2
 Hydraulics
Car is
Driver presses down on lifted by
jack handle here jack here

Force = 10N

Area = 10cm2

Pressure = force
area
 Hydraulics
Car is
Driver presses down on lifted by
jack handle here jack here

Force = 10N

Area = 10cm2

Pressure = 10
10

= 1 N/cm2
 Hydraulics
Car is
Driver presses down on lifted by
jack handle here jack here

Force = 10N

Area = 10cm2

Pressure = 10
10
The pressure, 1 N/cm2, will be the
= 1 N/cm2 same anywhere in the system.
 Hydraulics
Car is
Driver presses down on lifted by
jack handle here jack here

Force = 10N

Area = 10cm2 Area = 40cm2

Pressure = 10
10
The pressure, 1 N/cm2, will be the
= 1 N/cm2 same anywhere in the system.
 Hydraulics
Car is
Driver presses down on lifted by
jack handle here jack here

Force = 10N Force = Pressure x area

Area = 10cm2 Area = 40cm2

Pressure = 10
10
The pressure, 1 N/cm2, will be the
= 1 N/cm2 same anywhere in the system.
 Hydraulics
Car is
Driver presses down on lifted by
jack handle here jack here

Force = 10N Force = Pressure x area

Force = 1 x 40 = 40N

Area = 10cm2 Area = 40cm2

Pressure = 10
10
The pressure, 1 N/cm2, will be the
= 1 N/cm2 same anywhere in the system.
 Hydraulics Using a hydraulic jack, a
Car is
small force can be
Driver presses down on lifted by
multiplied to lift a heavy
jack handle here jack here
car.
Force = 10N Force = Pressure x area
Force = 1 x 40 = 40N

Area = 10cm2 Area = 40cm2

Pressure = 10
10
The pressure, 1 N/cm2, will be the
= 1 N/cm2 same anywhere in the system.
The effects of underwater pressure on the body
Boyle's Law: The Pressure-Volume law
Robert Boyle (1627-1691)

GAS LAWS
Boyle's law or the pressure-volume law states that the volume of a given amount of gas
held at constant temperature varies inversely with the applied pressure
when the temperature and mass are constant.
When pressure goes up, volume goes down.
When volume goes up, pressure goes down.
Draw graph
Charles' Law: The Temperature-Volume Law
Jacques Charles (1746 - 1823)

This law states that the volume of a given amount of gas held at constant
pressure is directly proportional to the Kelvin temperature.
As the temp goes up, the pressure also goes up, and vice-versa.
Draw graph
Gay-Lussac's Law:
The Pressure Temperature Law
Joseph Gay-Lussac (1778-1850)

This law states that the pressure of a given amount

of gas held at constant volume is directly proportional
to the Kelvin temperature.
As the pressure goes up, the temperature also goes up,
and vice-versa.
Analyse the graph
Analyse the graph
Analyse the graph
PHYSICS – Pressure
Effects of Air
Pressure
Air Pressure

Air pressure in the

atmosphere acts in all
directions.
Air Pressure

Air pressure in the

atmosphere acts in all
directions.

Air pressure gets less

as you rise up through
the atmosphere. The
atmosphere is denser
at lower levels.
Air Pressure

Air pressure in the

atmosphere acts in all
directions.

Air pressure gets less

as you rise up through
the atmosphere. The
atmosphere is denser
at lower levels.

At sea level,
atmospheric pressure is
about 100 kPa
 Air Pressure

Crushed can experiment

 Air Pressure

Crushed can experiment

Air removed
by vacuum
pump

Atmospheric
pressure
crushes the
can.
Video on crushed
can exp…
 Air Pressure

We can measure atmospheric pressure using a barometer.

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 Air Pressure

We can measure atmospheric pressure using a barometer.

The sealed tube

contains a vacuum. Air
pressure will push
mercury up the tube.
At sea level a column of
760 mm of mercury can
be supported.

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 Air Pressure

We can measure atmospheric pressure using a barometer.

The sealed tube

contains a vacuum. Air
pressure will push
mercury up the tube.
At sea level a column of
760 mm of mercury can
be supported.

As atmospheric
pressure changes, so
does the height of
mercury in the tube.
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Up on mountains
IT ’S IMPACT ON BOILING POINT – LESS PRESSURE
Deep in the sea – it’s impact on gas
dissolved in lungs – diver’s bends
FOR EVERY 33 FEET I N OCEAN WATER, THE PRESSURE DUE TO NITROGEN
GOES UP ANOTHER 11.6 POUNDS PER SQUARE I NCH,. AS THE PRESSURE
DUE TO NITROGEN I NCREASES, MORE NITROGEN DISSOLVES I NTO THE
TI SSUES. THE LONGER A DIVER REMAINS AT DEPTH, THE MORE
NITROGEN DISSOLVES. UNLIKE THE OXYGEN I N THE AI R TANK A DIVER
USES TO SWIM UNDERWATER, THE NITROGEN GAS I S NOT UTILIZED BY
THE BODY AND BUILDS UP OVER TIME I N BODY TI SSUES .