UNIT 1.

BASICS CONCEPTS

Gage Pressure
Standar Atmospheric Pressure

Presión Atmosférica local

14.7 psi Vaccum

2116 lb/ft2 Negative
Pressure Gage
30 in Hg Pressure
Absolute Pressure

34 water feet Local 1

1 atmosphere Barometric
760 mm Hg Pressure
101,325 Pa
10.34 mt of water Absolute Pressure
1.03 3kg/cm2

Absolute Zero (full vaccum)

1 Presure below the Patm (site)

2 Pressure above the Patm (site)

Units and scales for pressure measurement.

Pabs = Pbar + Pgauge

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 UNIT 1. BASICS CONCEPTS

Prefixes for powers of 10 in the international system

Powers International System English System

109 giga G

106 mega M
103 kilo k
10-2 centi c
10-3 mili m
10-6 micro μ
10-9 nano n
10-12 pico p

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 UNIT 1. BASICS CONCEPTS

Unit Systems

Magnitude International System English System

Length meter (m) foot (ft)

Mass kilogram (kg) slug (slug)

Time second (s) second (s)

Force newton (N) pound (lb)

Temperature kelvin degree (°K) Rankine degree (°R)

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 Exercise: Given the two-compartment container shown in the figure, pressure gauge A
indicates 40 lb / in2 man; the pressure gauge B inside compartment X, marks 15 lb / in2
man. If the barometer indicates 30.55 in Hg, determine what the pressure gauge C reading
is and convert it to an absolute value.

Barometric Pressure = 30.55 in Hg (surrounding medium of both Step 1 . Convert to the same system of
compartments) pressure units.

X 30.55 𝑖𝑛 𝐻𝑔 𝑙𝑏
𝑃 𝐵𝑎𝑟 = (14.7 2)
C B A 30 𝑖𝑛 𝐻𝑔 𝑖𝑛
40 lb/in2 g 𝑙𝑏
a 𝑃 𝐵𝑎𝑟 = 14.96 2
𝑖𝑛
15 lb/in2 g

Step 2 . Determine based on what pressures the C gauge reading is to obtain.

The absolute C pressure is equal to the gauge C pressure plus the
b 𝑃𝐶𝑎𝑏𝑠 = 𝑃𝐶 𝑔 𝑃
+ 𝑏𝑎𝑟
= P X (abs) Barometric Pressure (local atmosphere) and therefore is the absolute
pressure of the compartment X

Step 3 . Determine based on what other pressures the absolute pressure of compartment X is to obtain, and
is the pressure of pressure gauge B and pressure gauge A:

The pressure of the absolute gauge B is equal to the pressure of gauge

c 𝑃𝐵𝑎𝑏𝑠 = 𝑃𝐵 𝑔 +
P X (abs) = P A abs
B plus the pressure of the local atmosphere in which it is consequently
is the absolute pressure of the compartment X and that said absolute
pressure B must be equal to the Pressure A Absolute set that both
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measure the pressure of the same compartment.
 Barometric Pressure = 30.55 in Hg (surrounding medium of both
compartments)

X
C B A
40 lb/in2 g
15 lb/in2 g

Step 4 . Determine based on what pressures you are getting the absolute A reading.
The pressure of absolute A is equal to the pressure of manometric A
d 𝑃𝐴𝑎𝑏𝑠 = 𝑃𝐴𝑔 𝑃
+ 𝑏𝑎𝑟
= P Babs plus the Barometric Pressure (local atmosphere).
Starting the calculations we begin by determining P A abs (and PB abs), of equation d and constant to
substitute.
𝑙𝑏 𝑙𝑏 𝑙𝑏
𝑃𝐴𝑎𝑏𝑠 = 𝑃𝐵𝑎𝑏𝑠 = 40 𝑔 + 14.96 𝑏𝑎𝑟 = 54.96 𝑎𝑏𝑠
𝑖𝑛2 𝑖𝑛2 𝑖𝑛2
We now determine the Pressure of compartment X by clearing this pressure from equation c and replacing
the pressures we already know:
𝑙𝑏 𝑙𝑏 𝑙𝑏
𝑃𝑋𝑎𝑏𝑠 = 𝑃𝐵𝑎𝑏𝑠 − 𝑃𝐵𝑔 = 54.96 𝑎𝑏𝑠 − 15 𝑔 = 39.9 𝑎𝑏𝑠
𝑖𝑛2 𝑖𝑛2 𝑖𝑛2
With the previous data we can already know the pressure of the pressure gauge C (gauge and absolute) by
substituting in equation b and it turns out:

𝑙𝑏
𝑃𝐶𝑎𝑏𝑠 = 𝑃𝑋𝑎𝑏𝑠 = 𝑃𝐶𝑚𝑎𝑛 + 𝑃𝑏𝑎𝑟 = 39.9 𝑎𝑏𝑠
𝑖𝑛2
𝑙𝑏 𝑙𝑏 𝑙𝑏
𝑃𝐶𝑔 = 𝑃𝐶𝑎𝑏𝑠 𝑃 = 39.9
− 𝑏𝑎𝑟
𝑎𝑏𝑠 − 14.96 𝑏𝑎𝑟 = 24.94 𝑔
𝑖𝑛2 𝑖𝑛2 𝑖𝑛2

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Exercise

1) From the following figure, the containers A and B contain air (density of 1,153 kg /m3) and the
liquid inside the manometer is water whose density is 1000 kg /m3 ; h1 = 100 cm, h2 = 20 cm
and h3 = 120 cm. a) Determine the PA-PB in mm Hg (gauge pressure) and b) If PB = 1 atm (guge
pressure) and the barometric pressure is the standard, determine the gauge pressure in A in lb /
in2 .

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Exercise

A manometer is used to measure the pressure of a gas in a tank. The fluid used has a specific
gravity of 0.85, and the manometer column height is 55 cm, as shown in figure. If the local
atmospheric pressure is 96 kPa, determine the absolute pressure within the tank.

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SOLUTION: The reading of a manometer attached to a tank and the atmospheric pressure are
given. The absolute pressure in the tank is to be determined.

Assumptions: The density of the gas in the tank is much lower than the density of the
manometer fluid.

Properties The specific gravity of the manometer fluid is given to be 0.85.

We take the standard density of water to be 1000 kg/m3.

Analysis: The density of the fluid is obtained by multiplying its specific gravity by the density of
water.
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Analysis: The density of the fluid is obtained by multiplying its specific gravity by the density of
water,

𝑘𝑔 𝑘𝑔
𝞺𝑓 = 𝑆𝐺 𝞺𝐻2𝑂 = 0.85(1000 ) = 850
𝑚3 𝑚3

𝑃 = 𝑃𝑎𝑡𝑚 + 𝞺𝑔ℎ

𝑘𝑔 𝑚 𝑁 𝑘𝑃𝑎
𝑃 = 96 𝑘𝑃𝑎 + (850 3)(9.81 2 )(0.55 𝑚)( 1 2)(1 )
𝑚 𝑠 1 𝑘𝑔𝑚/𝑠 1000 𝑁/𝑚2

𝑃 = 100.6 𝑘𝑃𝑎

Discussion: What’s the gage pressure in the tank?