PRESSURE: The pressure acting on a surface is the force exerted on unit area of the surface.

F
P=
A
Where P = pressure (Pa)
F= force (N)
A = area (m2)

From above it can be seen that pressure depends on the force applied and the area over which the
force is applied. If a force is concentrated over a small area, this produces a large pressure.
S.I. unit: Pascals (Pa)
where 1 Pascal is a force of 1 N spread over an area of 1 m2.
1 Pa = 1 N/1 m2

SOLIDS

A solid resting on a surface exerts a pressure equal to its weight divided by its area in contact with
the surface.

EXAMPLE: Find the pressure exerted by a brick shown below if it has weight of 15 N.

P = F/A = 15N/(0.1*0.05) = 3000 Pa

NOTE: If the same brick was resting on its side, the pressure would be less since the area in
contact would be greater while the weight remains constant.

Examples to illustrate effect of area on pressure and using P = F/A in calculations

(a) The area of the end of a brick is 0.005 m2 and the area of the base of the same brick is
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0.02 m2. The weight of the brick is 50 N. What is the pressure the brick can exert on
each of the surfaces?
 On 0.005 m2 surface (small area) On 0.02 m2 surface (large area)
P = 50 N/0.005 m2 P = 50 N/0.02 m2
= 10 000 Nm-2 = 2 500 Nm-2

This shows that the smaller the area, the bigger the pressure.

(b) A lady weighing 600 N wears stiletto heels with total area of 0.00003 m2.
(i) What pressure do they exert on the floor?
(ii) What effect would these have on a wooden floor?
Answer
(i) F = 600 N, A = 0.00003 m2
Pressure on the floor = 600 N/0.00003 m2
= 20 000 000 Nm-2

(ii) Make holes on the wooden floor. Imagine if this person walks on soft ground!

(c) Take an instance when you push hard on a drawing pin, you can push the point into a
wooden tabletop. If you turned the pin upside down, the point would go into you with
a lot of pain. Why?

(d) A crate exerts a pressure of 10 kPa over its base that measures 0.5 m by 0.2 m.
Calculate the weight of the crate.
Answer: P = 10 kPa A = 0.5 m x 0.2 m W = F =?
= 10 000 Pa = 0.1 m2
Using P = F/A
F = W = PA
W = 10 000 Pa x 0.1 m2
= 1 000 N

LIQUIDS

Consider a horizontal area A (m2) at depth of h (m) below a surface of liquid of density, ρ (kg/m3)
as seen below.

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w
P= ------------------------------ (1)
A
W = mg ----------------------------------------- (2)

Substituting (2) into (1) we get :

P = mg/A ------------------------------------------------- (3)

Since ρ=m/V , therefore m = ρV -------------------------------------- (4)

Substituting (4) into (3) we get:

P = ρVg / A ----------------------------------------------- (5)

But V = Ah -------------------------------------------------- (6)

Substituting (6) into (5) we get:

P = ρgAh / A

P = ρgh

Where P is pressure due to a liquid (Pa)

h is height (m)
ρ is density (kg/m3)
g is gravitational field strength (N/kg)

NOTE: This equation shows that pressure due to a liquid depends on height and does not depend
on the area considered.

The pressure at the base of the tubes is the same , otherwise the liquid will flow to balance the
pressure likewise the pressure at all points marked x is the same since they are all at the same
depth.
The liquid pressure is characterized by the following:
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(i) It increases with depth

Illustration:

The holes made at different heights will allow water to spurt out at different speeds as well as to
different distances from the eureka can or displacement can.
Water spurts greatest from the lowest hole, C showing that pressure is greatest, followed by that
from hole B and least from hole A.
This also shows that pressure increases with depth since depth of C > B > A.

(ii) It acts in all directions at any point in a liquid.

(iii) It is independent of cross-section area of the container the liquid is placed.

Liquids are said to find their own level and this shows that pressure depends on
height not cross-sectioned area.

Calculation of Pressure of a Liquid Head

Examples

1. What is the pressure in Pascals, in a liquid of density 1 000 kgm-3 and 10 m below the
surface?
(Take g = 10 ms-2)
Answer
h = 10 m, ρ = 1 000 kgm-3, g = 10 ms-2 or Nkg-1, P =?

Using P = hρg
= 10 m x 1000 kgm-3 x 10 Nkg-1
= 100 000 Pa
2. The base of a rectangular vessel measured 10 cm x 20 cm. Water is poured to a height
of 5 cm.
Determine (i) pressure; and
(ii) force on the base.
Answer
(i)h = 5 cm, ρ = 1 000 kgm-3,g = 10 Nkg-1, P =? (ii) A = (0.10x 0.20)m2,P = 500 Nm-2
-3 -1
P = 0.05 m x1 000 kgm x10 Nkg F = 500 Nm-2 x (0.10x 0.20) m2
-2
= 500 Nm = 10 N
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GASES
The pressure of a gas in a container is the force of the rapidly moving particles acting on unit area
of the walls of the container. Gas pressure is affected by some factors.

(i) CHANGE IN TEMPERATURE

If the volume of the gas is kept constant and the temperature increased, the gas particles gain
kinetic energy therefore they collide more vigorously with the walls of the container increasing
the force acting on unit area and the pressure increases.
A graph of pressure against temperature is shown below.

Pα T

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 (ii) CHANGE IN VOLUME

A decrease in volume of the container decreases area in which the gas particles collide, so the
force acting on unit area is increased and the pressure increases. Similarly if the volume is
increased, surface area increases and so pressure decreases.

A graph of pressure against volume at a constant temperature is shown in the following figure.

1
But when pressure is plotted against reciprocal of V i.e a straight line is produced.
V

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This shows that P α 1/V ( at fixed temp)

Therefore PV is a constant.

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MEASURING PRESSURE

Pressure can be measured with a manometer which measures the pressure difference in height of
the two columns of liquid in a U –tube.

A U-TUBE MANOMETER

Pressure at A = Pressure at B

P1 = P2 + ρgh or P1 – P2 = ρgh

If one of the tubes is closed and contain a vacuum above a liquid the pressure above the liquid on
that limb (tube) is zero.

Hence P = ρgh

Normally we use mercury (Hg) in a manometer since it has a high density, h becomes
conveniently small. Units normally used are millimetres of mercury (mmHg). These differences
in height of mercury in a manometer are a direct measurement of the pressure differences
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between the tubes in mmHg, cmHg e.t.c.

ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE

The surface of any object in the Earth’s atmosphere experiences the pressure of the atmosphere
acting on it. The value of this pressure is 1*105 pa (100kpa). We don’t feel it as it is balanced by
an equal pressure from within our bodies. To measure atmospheric pressure, we could use a
manometer with one with one tube left open to the air and the other containing vacuum above
mercury. However a special type of manometer called a barometer is used.

The height (h) shown gives the value of atmospheric pressure in mmHg, cmHg e.t.c. Pressure in
Pascals can be calculated using the formula P = ρgh .

NOTE: If the tube is tilted, the vertical height of the mercury column remains the same as the
pressure due to a column depends on its vertical height.

WEATHER: Where the earth’s surface is warm, air rises by convection creating regions of low
pressure and where it is cooler, air falls (sinks) and a region of high pressure is formed, winds are
caused by air moving from high pressure region to low pressure region.
Large scale weather systems are recorded by meteorologists on weather maps. Points on the map
with equal pressure at a particular time are joined by lines called isobars.
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NOTE: Meteorologists measure pressure in millibars (mb).

 (a) CYCLONE/LOW/DEPRESSION : It means a region of low pressure.
Cyclones (commonly known as lows) generally are indicators of rain, clouds, and
other forms of bad weather

Winds spiral inwards and clockwise in the southern hemisphere.

(b) ANTICYCLONE: It means a region of high pressure. Winds spiral outwards and anti-
clockwise in the southern hemisphere.

NOTE: If isobars are closer together it means wind speed is high and vice versa.
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. Anticyclones (commonly known as highs) are predictors of fair/ calm weather.

1 A small bubble of air rises to the surface from the bottom of a lake of depth 20.0 m.
Atmospheric pressure at the surface of the lake is 1.00 x 105 Pa. The local value of the
gravitational force acting on a mass of 1.00 Kg is 10.0 N. The density of water is 1.00 x
103 Kg/m3.

(a) Calculate the change of pressure exerted on the bubble as it rises from the bottom of
the lake to the surface.

Change of pressure = ………………….. [2]

(b) The volume of the bubble when it is at the bottom of the lake is 3 mm3. Calculate the
volume of the bubble as it reaches the surface, assuming that there is no change in
temperature.

Volume of the bubble as it reaches the surface = ………………[3]

2 Fig.2.1 shows a rectangular tank filled with water . The water exerts pressure on the base
of the tank The density of water is 1000 kg/m3

Fig.2.1

(a)What is meant by pressure?

……………………………………………………………[1]

(b)Calculate the pressure exerted by the water on the base of the tank.

Pressure…………[2]
(c)The water is transferred into another rectangular tank which has a smaller base area.
The two tanks have the same volume .

(i) how will the pressure exerted by then water on the base of the tank differ?

………………………………………………………………………………….
Explain your answer
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…………………………………………………………………………………
 (ii)Explain why the total force exerted by the water on the bases of the tanks is the
Same.
………………………………………………………………………………….[1]

3 (a) Fig.3.1 shows a water manometer used to measure the pressure inside a gas pipe.

Fig.3.1 Fig.3.2 Fig.3.3

(i) State whether the pressure inside the gas pipe in Fig. 9.1 is larger or smaller than
atmospheric pressure.

………………………………………………………………………………........................................................[1]

(b) The manometers shown in Figs. 3.2 and 3.3 are connected to the same gas pipe at
the same pressure as shown in Fig.3.1

On Figs.3.2 and 3.3 draw the levels of the liquid in each manometer if

(i) the manometer in Fig.3.2 contains water and has tubes with twice the diameter of
Fig.3.1

(ii) the manometer in Fig.3.3 contains a liquid with density half that of water. [2]

(c) The manometer shown in Fig.3.4 has its top end sealed.
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 Fig.3.4

Explain why the water levels are different in Figs.3.4 and 3.1, even though the pressure
in the gas pipe is the same.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………[2]

4 (a) Fig.4.1 shows a sketch of isobar patterns.

Fig.4.1

(i) What is an isobar?

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………[1]
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(ii) Name the regions represented by letters X and Y.

X…………………………………………………….
 Y……………………………………………………… [2]

(iii) Use an arrow at Z on Fig.4.1 to indicate the direction of the wind at Z. the pattern is
for Botswana. [1]

(iv) Explain the significance of region Z and how this would affect the wind speed.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… [2]

(b) Fig.4.2 shows a simple mercury barometer.

Fig.4.2

(i) What is region P?

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………[1]

(ii) Explain why it is not sensible to make a barometer with the mercury reaching the
top of the tube.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………[1]

(iii) State the atmospheric pressure shown by the barometer.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………[1]

(iv) State what would happen to this reading if the barometer is taken down into a
valley. Explain your answer.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………[2]

5 Fig.5.1 shows a mercury barometer.

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Fig.5.1

(a) What does part A represent?

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..[1]

(b) Find the pressure at point B. ( density ρ of mercury = 13600 kg/m3, g = 10 m/s2)

Pressure = …………………………………………………. [2]

(c) Fig.5.2 shows isobars over two small islands.

Fig.5.2

(i) What are isobars?

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. [1]

(ii) What is the name of region P?

……………………………………………………………………………… [1]

(iii) What is likely to be the weather pattern on the east of Chaba Island?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… [1]

(iv) A mercury barometer is placed at point X.

What is the reading on the barometer?
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(1000 mb = 760 mm Hg)

Reading = ……………………………………………………. [2]

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