Pressure in solids

Ciara and Raya

 • What is pressure?
• Pressure in solids
• Equations 
• Examples 

Contents 
 • Pressure is the force per unit area
• Solids,  gases and fluids can exert pressure
• Is written as p or P
• The SI unit is the pascal (= 1 newton per square metre)
• Pressure is a scalar quantity
• The negative gradient of pressure is called the force density.
What is • There is vapor pressure (fluids and solids) and partial pressure
(gases)
pressure?
Pressure in solids
•  The pressure a solid object exerts on
another solid surface is its weight in
newtons divided by its area in square
metres. (p=f/a)
• All solids have a vapor pressure
• The pressure of the solid on the surface
depends on the area of contact. (the smaller
the area the higher pressure)
• It acts only in the direction of the force.
Equation for
pressure (+area)
• P=f/a  (pressure=force/area)
 p is the unit of pressure in pascals. One
pascal is 1 N/m2
 f is the unit of force in newtons
 a is the unit of area in m2

• (Area is calculated by the following

equation:
 area = length × width
  The units of length and width are
meters.)
Example questions

• A force of 20 N acts over an area of 2 m2. What is the pressure?

• P=f/a     = 20N/2 m^2 = 10 n/m^2

• A force of 45 N acts over an area of 5 m^2. What is the pressure?

• P=f/a     =45N/5m^2= 9n/m^2

• A force of 76 N acts over an area of 13 m^2. What is the pressure?

• P=f/a
Thank you for your
attention

Raya and Ciara