CHAPTER 2 : PRESSURE

2.1 : PRESSSURE IN
LIQUIDS
ALVIN YONG SENG HAO
KONG CHEK YANG
WONG CHUNG ING
Liquid pressure
• The height of water levels in the different columns are the
same. This means that the cross-sectional area and the
shapes of the columns do not affect the pressure in
liquids.
• The figure shows that water
spurting out of all three holes
at the same level of the plastic
bottle has the same horizontal
spurt distance.
• This observation shows that
pressure at a point in a liquid
act in all directions. Points at
the same level have the same
pressure.
• The figure shows a U-tube
filled with liquid X. Then it is
added with liquid Y which
does not mix with liquid X.
This apparatus can be used
to compare the densities of
two immiscible liquids.
• The formula P=hpg is used to calculate the pressure at a depth in
a liquid. The surface of the liquid also experience pressure.
Therefore, the actual pressure experienced by an object in a liquid
is calculated with the following formula.
 Questions
1) What is the water pressure at a depth of 24 m in a lake
?
(Density of water, p = 1000 kg m-3 and gravitational
acceleration, g = 9.81 ms-2)

Solution :
P = hpg
P = 24(1000)(9.81)
= 235440 Pa
= 2.35 x 10^5 Pa
2) The figure shows a U-tube filled with water and olive oil. The
density of water is 1000 kg m-3. Calculate the density of olive oil.