Contents
Physics
1.
Pressure
2.
Pressure in a Liquid
3.
Atmospheric Pressure & Barometers
4.
Gas Pressure & Manometers
Pressure - 1
1. Pressure
Equation:
SI unit:
The diagrams to the right show the
same metal block placed in three
different orientations. Notice that
the pressure in each is different.
Q1. Calculate the pressure under a womans foot if she has a mass
of 60 kg when she is wearing
(i)
flat shoes of area 200 cm,
(ii) high heels of area 1 cm.
Q2. Explain why a knife can cut through a piece of meat with very
little force.
Physics
Pressure - 2
2. Pressure in a Liquid
Q
Why do we have a pressure inside a liquid?
A
Because the weight of water above pushes down on the water
below.
Consider a column of liquid as shown to
the right.
What is the volume of this cylinder?
V=
Given it has a density , calculate its
mass.
m=
Thus, if the acceleration due to gravity is
10 m/s, what is the weight of the water?
W=
The pressure can then be found as before by applying
P=
F
A
Then we get the general equation for finding pressure in a liquid:
hg You may think from the above that pressure acts downwards. This
is not true PRESSURE ACTS IN ALL DIRECTIONS. See figures 1 and
2 on page 4.
Physics
Pressure - 3
Pressure is dependant upon the density of the liquid and depth
below the surface. See figures 3 and 4 on page 4.
Figure 1
Pressure acts in all directions
Figure 2
Pressure is equal in all directions
Figure 3
Pressure depends on depth
Figure 4
Pressure is greater at dam base
Liquid Finds Its Own Level
Q1. In which of the following measuring cylinders will the pressure
be the greatest at the bottom?
Q2. Consider the diagram below. What can you say about the
pressure at various points along the tube at the bottom?
Complete the diagram below to show the level of liquids in the
various tubes.
Physics
Pressure - 4
We say the liquid finds its own level.
Upthrust
Have you ever considered what makes an object float?
Given that the following cube has
a cross-sectional area, A, of 25 cm
and is submerged in water of
density 1000 kg/m a)Find
(i)
the pressure P1
(ii) the pressure P2
b)
Calculate
(i)
the force exerted on the top of the cube
(ii) the force exerted on the bottom of the cube
c)
State the net force acting on the cube due to the pressure of
the water.
Physics
Pressure - 5
This force acting upwards is known as the upthrust.
Upthrust explains the following,
Objects in water appear lighter than when on the land.
Objects that weigh less than the upthrust on them will have a net
force upwards and thus will float.
Objects that weigh more than the upthrust on them will have a net
force downwards and thus will sink.
Physics
Pressure - 6
3. Atmospheric Pressure & Barometers
Atmospheric Pressure
The air surrounding us exerts a pressure on us all of the time and
in all directions.
This pressure is about 100,000 N/m or 105 Pa.
Q.
A.
Physics
Why do we not feel this pressure?
Because the inside of our bodies and all objects around us are
at the same pressure. Air pressure is more likely to be noticed
when we remove the air from a place.
Pressure - 7
Atmospheric Pressure and Weather
Why do we want to measure atmospheric pressure?
The units given on the above map are millibars.
1000 millibars = 1 bar = 100,000 Pa = 1 atmosphere
Indicate on the above map the direction in which the wind will blow?
Simple Mercury Barometer
A barometer is an instrument for measuring
pressure.
The following inverted tube is sealed at one end
and placed in a dish of mercury. The space
above the mercury is a vacuum. This is a simple
mercury barometer.
Q1
What is the pressure in a vacuum?
Q2 What can you say about the pressures at
A and B?
Q3
Why is the liquid mercury used?
This means that the column of mercury of height h exerts the same
pressure as the atmosphere exerts.
Physics
Pressure - 8
The height of mercury on an average day is 76 cm of mercury, or
760 mm Hg.
Note
The height is the vertical height of the
mercury level above the mercury level in
the dish.
Aneroid Barometer
A barometer that does not use liquid is the aneroid barometer. It
makes use of a sealed partially evacuated box of air which expands
and contracts as the atmospheric pressure around it changes.
So far we have not considered the atmospheric pressure. The
equation P=hg actually gives only pressure due to the liquid. If we
wish to find the absolute pressure we must include the pressure of
the atmosphere.
PTOTAL P0
Example
Q.
If atmospheric pressure is 76 cm Hg find the total pressure
exerted on a diver who is 10 metres underwater. Density of
water is 1000 kg/m, g = 10 N/kg.
Physics
Pressure - 9
Physics
Pressure - 10
4. Gas Pressure & Manometers
To measure the pressure of a gas other than air we can make use of a
manometer. A manometer will measure the difference in pressure
of the gas from atmospheric pressure.
Manometer
A manometer consists of a U-tube partially filled with a liquid.
Figure 1
Figure 2
In figure 1 both sides of the tube are acted upon by atmospheric
pressure.
In figure 2 one side of the manometer is now connected to a gas
supply at a higher pressure than the atmosphere.
Q1
At what pressure is the point B?
Q2
What is the pressure at the point C
Q3
What can you say about the pressures at the points A and C?
Q4
What is the pressure of the gas being measured?
Example
Find the pressure of the gas supply, Pg, in
cm Hg, given that atmospheric pressure is
75 cm Hg.
Physics
Pressure - 11
Questions
100
1.
What is the pressure
barometer to the left?
shown
on
the
2.
On the barometer identify points which are
at
(a) 0 cm Hg
(b) 10 cm Hg
(c) atmospheric pressure
(d) 10 cm Hg
(e) 30 cm Hg below atmospheric
pressure
(f)
the greatest pressure
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
(mercury
1.
2.
Physics
3.
What is atmospheric pressure in pascals?
= 13,600 kg/m, g = 10 m/s)
On the manometer set up to
measure the pressure of a gas, Px,
identify points which are at
(a) atmospheric pressure
(b) 20
cm
Hg
above
atmospheric pressure
(c) the greatest pressure
What is the pressure of the gas, Px?
Pressure - 12
Px
10
90
8
0
7
0
6
0
5
0
4
0
3
0
2
0
1
0
0
