Density, Pressure, and Moments

1.1 DENSITY
The density of a substance is the mass of the substance per unit volume.
The formula for density is Density = Mass/Volume, Volume = Mass/Density, or Mass = Density
x Volume.
I. The SI unit of mass is the kilogram (kg),
II. The SI unit of volume is cubic meters (m3),
III. Thus, the SI unit of density is kilogram per cubic meter (kg/m3).
To calculate the density of a substance, we
I. Measure the mass
II. Measure the volume using a measuring cylinder (level of liquid = liquid volume, rise
in level = solid volume)
III. Calculate the density using the formula
Substances of lower density float above high-density substances. A ship will float on water
because it contains a large volume of air, which is less dense than water. However, a pebble will
sink in water because it is denser than water. Whether an object floats on or sinks in a liquid or
gas depends on its density relative to the liquid or gas, and not just on how heavy it is.

1.2 PRESSURE
Pressure is defined as the perpendicular force acting on a unit area.
The formula of pressure is Pressure = Force/Area, Area = Force/Pressure, or Force = Pressure x
Area.
I. The SI unit of pressure is Pascal (Pa) or N/m2 where 1 Pa = 1 N/m2,
II. The SI unit of force is Newton (N),
III. The SI unit of area is m2.
A force can produce a high or low pressure depending on the area it acts on. A smaller area
results in high pressure, and vice versa. High pressure is useful for cutting, sewing, and driving
nails into wood. Low pressure is useful for skiers, preventing them from sinking in the snow, and
for extractors having caterpillar tracks which provide a large area in contact with the ground and
hence lower the pressure acting on the ground.
Liquids exert pressure due to their weight.
Liquid pressure increases with depth.
The pressure exerted on us by the atmosphere is known as atmospheric pressure. The
atmospheric pressure at sea level is 1.013 x 105 Pa (101,300 Pa) or 1 atmosphere. At higher
altitudes, the air is less, resulting in low atmospheric pressure. Below the sea level, such as in
underground mines, there is more air pressing down on a unit area, so the increase in the total
weight of the air below sea level gives rise to higher atmospheric pressure.
When a metal can quarter-filled with water is heated till it boils, the pressure created by the
steam is balanced with the atmospheric pressure when the air inside and steam is driven out of
the can. When it is inverted into a basin of cold water, a partial vacuum is created when the
steam cools and condenses rapidly. The pressure inside the can is now much lower than the
pressure outside, and thus the atmospheric pressure crushes the can with a ‘pop’ sound.
We aren’t crushed by atmospheric pressure because the pressure inside our body is the same as
atmospheric pressure.
When a suction cup is pressed to the wall, some of the air escapes the cup and creates a partial
vacuum. The atmospheric pressure acts on the external surface of the cup and holds it to the wall.
The pressure of a gas can be raised by compressing the gas, with its temperature held constant, or
by increasing the temperature of the gas with its volume held constant.

1.3 TURNING EFFECT OR MOMENT OF FORCES

A force can turn an object about its pivot (fulcrum). This turning effect of a force is called the
moment of a force. We use this for using a nutcracker, crane, screwdriver, bottle opener, claw
hammer, and using a traditional balance. Many of our body movements involve this; we use this
to bend down at the hip, stand on our tiptoes, and lift our lower arm.
The moment of a force depends on
I. The perpendicular distance, d, from the line of action of the force to the pivot
II. The force, F, applied
Moment = Force x Distance
I. The SI unit of force is Newton (N),
II. The SI unit of distance is meter (m),
III. Thus, the SI unit of a moment is a newton-meter (Nm).
The moment of a force can be described based on the direction in which it causes the object to
turn. A clockwise moment turns an object in the clockwise direction, and vice versa. When the
clockwise and anti-clockwise moments are equal, the system is balanced and does not move.
When the clockwise moment is greater than the anti-clockwise moment, the object turns in the
clockwise direction.
ZRK VIII-A