Physics Topic P11

KNOWLEDGE ORGANISER
Forces in action – Forces & pressure (triple)
Section 1: Key terms Section 3: Pressure in a liquid at rest continued (HT)
The force per unit area, measured in Pa (which is Pressure The further the hole
Pressure increases with is below the level of
equal to 1N/m2).
Density Mass per unit volume of a substance. depth water in the bottle, the
greater the force
Fluid A liquid or a gas.
which the jet leaves
Earth’s Relatively thin layer of gases that surround planet
the bottle
atmosphere Earth.
Atmospheric The pressure exerted by the weight of the
pressure atmosphere. Same The pressure along
altitude The height of an object in relation to sea level. pressure at the horizontal line is
same depth constant (the jets from
The upward force that acts on a body partly or
Upthrust (HT) these holes are at the
completely submerged in a fluid.
same pressure.
Flotation (HT) The action of floating in a liquid or a gas.
Section 2: Pressure and surfaces
Section 4: Atmospheric pressure
Pressure is caused when objects exert forces on each other, or when a
fluid exerts a force on an object in contact with the fluid. Air molecules colliding with a surface create atmospheric pressure.
Pressure • Area of contact on which the force acts Atmospheric At sea level 100kPa
depends on • Size of the force pressure Mount Everest 30kPa
Pressure = force Altitude Atmospheric pressure decreases with higher altitude as
Pressure – pascals, Pa the number of air molecules (& hence the weight of air)
Calculating area
Force – newtons, N above a surface decreases as the height above ground level
pressure
Area – metres squared m2 increases.
р = F/A
Caterpillar tracks fitted to vehicles increases the contact Density of The atmosphere gets less dense with increasing altitude.
area that the tracks have to the ground. This reduces the atmosphere
Effect of area
pressure of the vehicle on the ground because its weight is Section 5: Upthrust and flotation. (HT)
on pressure
spread over a larger contact area. Useful for driving on When an object floats, it experiences a greater pressure on its base,
sandy, muddy or snow covered ground. compared to the top surface. This creates a resultant force upwards called
Section 3: Pressure in a liquid at rest (HT) upthrust.
The upthrust on an object in a fluid:
The pressure at the bottom of a column of liquid depends upon:
• Is an upward force on the object due to the fluid
• Height of the column (higher the column, the greater the pressure.)
• Is caused by the pressure of the fluid
• Density of the liquid (greater the density, the greater the pressure.)
The pressure at a point in a fluid depends on the density of the fluid and
Pressure = height x density x Pressure – Pa the depth of the fluid at that point.
Calculating pressure
gravitational field strength Height – m An object sinks if its weight is greater than the upthrust on it when it is
due to column height of
Density – m3 fully immersed. A ship floats because it displaces more water than the
a liquid of given density.
P=hxpxg Gravity – N/Kg weight of the ship hence its weight is equal to the upthrust.