Why can’t a high-speed water jet move a

car but a slow-moving tsunami wave can?

Pressure is different from force

You can push the pin into the wood but you cannot push your
thumb into the wood even if you use the same force.

Tr. Allan
A sharp knife cuts with greater ease than a blunt knife. Why?
The reason is that both sharp point of the pin and the sharp
edge of the knife have very small areas.
A force acting on small area exerts a large pressure.
Tr. Allan
What is pressure?
When force is constant, pressure is inversely proportional to area.
𝟏
𝑷∝𝑨
When area is constant, pressure is directly proportional to force.
𝑷∝𝑭
𝐹𝑜𝑟𝑐𝑒
𝑃𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑢𝑟𝑒 =
𝐴𝑟𝑒𝑎
!
𝑃=
"
• Pressure is the force per unit area.
• SI unit of pressure = Newton per metre squared (N/m2) or Pascal (Pa)
• Other unit of pressure: bar, Pound per squared inch (PSI), mmHg
• 1 pascal means a pressure of one newton force per square metre.
• Pressure is a scalar quantity. Tr. Allan
 Smallest area Biggest area
biggest pressure smallest pressure

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Examples
An elephant weighing 45000 N stands on one foot of dimensions
30cmx 30cm. what is the pressure exerted by the elephant?
𝐹 45000 𝑁 45000 𝑁
𝑃= = = = 500 000 𝑃𝑎
𝐴 30 𝑐𝑚 × 30𝑐𝑚 0.3 𝑚 × 0.3 𝑚

A girl weighing 500 N stands on one stiletto heel of dimensions

1cmx1cm. What is the pressure exerted by the girl?
𝐹 500 𝑁 500 𝑁
𝑃= = = = 5 000 000 𝑃𝑎
𝐴 1 𝑐𝑚 × 1𝑐𝑚 0.01 𝑚 × 0.01 𝑚

Tr. Allan
 Examples
A concrete block has a mass of 2600 kg. If the block measures 0.5 m by 1.0 m by 2.0 m,
what is the maximum pressure it can exert when resting on the ground? (g = 10 N/kg)

Force = Weight = mg = 2600 kg x 10 N/kg = 26000 N

To exert maximum pressure, the block must be resting on
the side with the smallest area.
𝐹 26000 𝑁
𝑃= = = 52 000 𝑃𝑎
𝐴 1 𝑚 × 0.5 𝑚

Tr. Allan
Examples
A hippopotamus produces a pressure of 250 000 Pa when it is standing on all four feet. If
the weight of the hippopotamus is 40 000 N, what is the area of each foot?

Area = Force / Pressure

Area = 40 000 N / 250 000 Pa
Area = 0.16 m2
Area of each foot = 0.16 m2 ÷ 4 = 0.04 m2

Tr. Allan
Why can’t a
high-speed
water jet
move a car
but a slow-
moving
tsunami • When a giant wave hits a wall of area A = 1m2, the force
acting on the wall is the sum of tiny pushes exerted by the
slow moving water at many points.
wave can?
Tr. Allan
 Tr. Allan

Liquid Pressure
Volume of liquid, V = Ah
Weight of the liquid, W = mg
= ρVg (∵ ρ = m/V)
= ρAhg

Height = h
density = ρ
! %
Pressure by the liquid, 𝑃 = "
= "
ρAhg cross-sectional
= "
area = A
= ρgh
Pressure due to the liquid = density of the liquid x gravitational field strength x height of the column
P = ρgh
SI unit for pressure = N/m2 or Pa
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Characteristics of liquid Pressure (1)

The liquid pushes on every surface in contact with it, no matter which way the
surface is facing.
Characteristics of liquid Pressure (2)

The deeper the liquid, the

faster the liquid spurts out.
The pressure in the liquid
increases with depth.

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Characteristics of liquid Pressure (2)

Dam thickness increases with depth of the water

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 Tr. Allan

Characteristics of liquid Pressure (3)

Pressure in liquid does not depends on the shape and size

of the container.
Characteristics of liquid Pressure (4)

Pressure in liquid is the same at both area

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Characteristics of liquid Pressure (5)

Pressure depends on the

density of the liquid. Denser
the liquid, the greater the
pressure.

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Summary
• Pressure acts in all directions.
• Pressure increases with depth.
• Pressure doesn’t depend on the shape and size of the container.
• Pressure depends on the density of the liquid. Denser the liquid, the
greater the pressure.

Tr. Allan
Examples
A submarine descends to a depth of 80 m below the water surface.
Calculate the pressure exerted by the seawater on the submarine at
this depth.
[ Take density of water = 1050 kg/ m3 ]

Liquid pressure = ρgh

P = 1050 x 10 x 80 m
= 840000 Pa

Tr. Allan
 Examples
Figure shows a water tank which is 8 m
above taps A and B. What is the pressure
that forces water out from tap A? What is the
pressure in tap B?
[Take density of water = 1000 kg m-3]
Pressure in tap A is due to the water in the pipe
and tank above it.
Pressure = ρgh
= 8 m x 1000 kg m-3 × 10 N kg-1
= 80 000 Pa

The pressure in tap B is the same as the

pressure in tap A as both are at the same level Tr. Allan
and both taps are connected to the same tank.
Examples

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Atmospheric pressure
• Barometer = device to measure
atmospheric pressure
• Atmospheric pressure pushes
mercury up the tube because
the space in the top has no air.
• At sea level, the atmospheric
pressure will support a column
of mercury 760 mm high.

Tr. Allan
Atmospheric pressure

1 atm = ρgh = 13590 kg/m3 x 9.8 N/kg x 0.76 m = 101300 Pa

1atm = 100 000 Pa = 100 kPa
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Manometer
A manometer is a simple U tube device containing liquid used to
measure pressure difference.

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Manometer

• The height difference shows the

extra pressure that the gas supply
has in addition to atmospheric
pressure.
• This extra pressure is called
excess pressure.

Tr. Allan