9.

4 Effects of External
Pressure on Fluids
You have seen how increasing the pressure on a gas can force it into a
pressure (scientific definition): the smaller volume. In science and technology, pressure refers to the force
force per unit area applied to a unit of surface area.
Some devices, such as thumbtacks, are designed to increase
pressure. The force you apply to the head of the tack is transferred to
15 000 m 12 kPa the tiny area of the point. As the force is concentrated on a smaller
area, pressure increases. Other devices are designed to decrease
pressure. When a person wears snowshoes or uses a snowboard, he
12 500 m 18 kPa or she can stay on top of the snow. The force of the person’s weight
atmospheric pressure

is spread over a larger area than if he or she were wearing boots.

Spreading the force over a larger area reduces the pressure and
elevation

10 000 m 26 kPa prevents the person from sinking into the snow.
Mathematically, we write pressure (p) = force/unit area, or

7500 m 38 kPa F
p = __
A

Pressure is measured in pascals (Pa) and 1 Pa = 1 N/m2.

5000 m 54 kPa
Air and Water Pressure
Fluids also exert pressure. Earth’s atmosphere is approximately 160 km
2500 m 75 kPa thick, and gravity pulls on every particle of it. Think of a newspaper
spread out on your table. It has an area of about 1 m2 and a weight of
1000 m 90 kPa about 1 N. So the pressure on the table from only the newspaper is
sea level 0 m 100 kPa about 1 N/m2 or 1 Pa. Now consider the weight of all the air directly
above that newspaper pressing down on it. Atmospheric pressure,
Figure 1 Atmospheric pressure
or air pressure, is the force exerted by the atmosphere (Figure 1) on
on Earth
the newspaper. It is 100 000 times greater than the pressure caused by
atmospheric pressure: the force the newspaper alone! Atmospheric pressure decreases the higher you
the atmosphere exerts on a unit of
ascend, because there is less air above you pressing down.
surface area

TRY THIS: Observing Atmospheric Pressure

SKILLS MENU: performing, observing, analyzing

Does atmospheric pressure only press downward? This activity 2. With your hand pressing the card to the cup, turn the cup
will help you find an answer to this question. upside down and hold it over the catch basin.
Equipment and Materials: plastic cup; plastic catch basin; 3. Slowly and carefully remove your hand without disturbing
file card (large enough to cover the top of the cup); water the card. Record your observations.
1. Fill a plastic cup about three-quarters full of water. Place a A. Use the idea of atmospheric pressure to explain what
file card over the top of the cup. happened.

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 The Try This activity demonstrates that air pressure acts in all
directions. It can apply enough force on the card to keep the water in
the glass. Even though water is much heavier than the same volume
of air, the force of gravity on the water in the glass was not enough to
overcome the force of air pressure pushing up on the card. This is why
the water did not fall out.
Like air, water also exerts pressure. When you swim underwater,
the water presses on all parts of your body and in all directions. Since
water is much heavier than air, it exerts more pressure than does air.
Figure 2 Deep-sea divers must
In fact, the pressure of deep water is so great that deep-sea divers
be able to withstand much greater
require much greater protection than scuba divers swimming near pressure than that experienced by
the surface (Figure 2). Submarines must have special hulls to keep the divers closer to the surface.
pressure of the water from crushing them.

Pressure and Pascal’s Law

Blaise Pascal (1623–1662) was a French mathematician and physicist.
Pascal is famous for many theories in mathematics and he developed
one of the first mechanical calculators. Pascal also studied the
behaviour of fluids and later invented the syringe. Pascal found
that when fluids in a container are put under pressure, they push in
all directions. That is why balloons bulge when filled or squeezed.
Pascal’s Law states that when pressure is applied from an outside Pascal’s Law: states that a force
source to a contained fluid, the force is transferred throughout the applied to a fluid is distributed equally
through all parts of the fluid
fluid in all directions (Figure 3). This ability of fluids to transfer force
is used in nature and in many human-made devices.

Figure 3 The inward force of the hands is transferred equally in all directions.

Applying Pascal’s Law

When you connect two syringes of different sizes together and push
on their plungers, you quickly notice two things:
• The plunger in the smaller syringe moves farther than the plunger in
the larger syringe.
• The plunger in the smaller syringe is easier to move than the plunger
in the larger syringe.

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 LINKING TO LITERACY Figure 4 shows that when the fluid in a small chamber is pushed
into a larger chamber, it is spread throughout a bigger volume. This
Taking Notes: Main Ideas
Keep your notes short and
is why the small plunger (or piston) moves much more than the large
to the point. To do this, look plunger. However, the force applied to the small piston is transferred
for the main idea in each to every part of the fluid equally. Since the large piston covers a
paragraph—it is usually the greater area, the force that the large piston can apply is much greater
first (or second) sentence. Write
than the force applied to the small piston.
the main ideas in point form in
your own words.
5N
1N

starting
position

Figure 4 The distance moved by the large piston is always less than the distance moved by
the small one. However, since the large piston has an area five times larger than the small
piston, the force from the small piston is multiplied five times.

We use Pascal’s Law today in devices like hydraulic brakes and

heavy equipment. Using the ability of fluids to transfer force, we can
control the amount of force applied in a system’s mechanisms, as well
as the distances moved by the parts of the mechanisms.
Liquids cannot be compressed very much. When you apply force
to one part of a hydraulic system, the force transfers immediately to
all other parts. Since gases are much more compressible than liquids,
pneumatic systems are often used when a “cushioning” effect is
desired. For example, many bus and streetcar doors use pneumatic
Figure 5 Many buses and streetcars systems. Should something or someone get caught in the door, the
use pneumatic systems to open and door does not squeeze as hard or as quickly as a hydraulic system
close the doors. might (Figure 5).

Unit Task Consider whether your toy will work better using a hydraulic system
or a pneumatic system.

CHECK YOUR LEARNING

C
1. What is meant by “pressure” in a scientific sense? What units 3. Describe Pascal’s Law in your own words. You may use a
are used to measure pressure? diagram to help.
2. In your own words, describe atmospheric pressure and water 4. Why do deep-sea divers require greater protection than scuba
pressure. divers?

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