🔹 ICSE Class 9 Physics – Unit 4, Chapter 1: Pressure in
Fluids & Atmospheric Pressure
📝 1. Very Short Answer Questions (1 mark each)
1. Define pressure.
2. State the SI unit of pressure.
3. What is the relation between pressure, force, and area?
4. Why does a sharp knife cut better than a blunt one?
5. Why do nails have pointed tips?
6. What is the value of atmospheric pressure at sea level?
7. Name the instrument used to measure atmospheric pressure.
8. Why don’t we get crushed under atmospheric pressure?
📝 2. Short Answer Questions (2-3 marks each)
1. Explain why it is easier to cut vegetables with a sharp knife.
2. Define thrust. How is it different from pressure?
3. Why do sea divers wear specially designed suits?
4. Why does the atmospheric pressure decrease with altitude?
5. Why do dams have broader bases?
6. State Pascal’s law and give one practical application.
7. A wooden block of dimensions 40 cm × 20 cm × 10 cm is kept on a table. Calculate
the pressure it exerts on the table when it rests on the:
o (i) 40 cm × 20 cm face
o (ii) 20 cm × 10 cm face
(Given: mass = 8 kg; take g = 10 m/s²)
� 3. Numerical Problems (3-4 marks each)
1. A tank contains water up to a height of 4 m. Calculate:
o (a) Pressure at the bottom
o (b) Force exerted on a 2 m² area of the bottom surface
(Take density of water = 1000 kg/m³; g = 9.8 m/s²)
2. A force of 200 N is applied on a surface of area 0.02 m². Calculate the pressure
applied.
3. Atmospheric pressure is 1.01 × 10⁵ Pa. Calculate the force acting on a surface of area
100 cm².
4. In a hydraulic press, the small piston has area 2 cm² and large piston has area 100
cm². If a force of 20 N is applied on the small piston, what force is produced on the
large piston (ignore friction)?
5. In a hydraulic machine, a force of 100 N is applied on a piston of area 5 cm². The
piston connected to the load has an area of 50 cm². Find the force on the load piston.
6. A hydraulic jack has a small piston of area 4 cm² and large piston of area 400 cm². If a
force of 40 N is applied on the small piston, calculate the force on the larger piston.
💡 4. Conceptual/Application-based Questions (3-4 marks each)
1. Explain how a rubber sucker sticks to a surface using the concept of atmospheric
pressure.
2. Describe an experiment to demonstrate the existence of atmospheric pressure (e.g.,
collapsing can or Magdeburg hemispheres).
3. Why do astronauts wear space suits?
4. How does a syringe work? Explain using atmospheric pressure.
5. State and explain Pascal’s Law. Give two examples of its applications.
🔚 5. Long Answer/Diagram-based Questions (5 marks) Attempt any three.
1. Describe an experiment to show that pressure in a liquid increases with depth. Explain
the observation.
2. With a labelled diagram, explain the construction and working of a simple barometer.
3. Describe how pressure depends on area with examples from daily life.
4. How is pressure exerted by fluids? Derive the formula for pressure in a liquid and
explain the terms involved.
