Form 4

Physics
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The study of matter

Chapter 3:
1 Forces & Pressure
 Physics: Chapter 3

Objectives:
< Back (what you will learn)
Next >

1) understanding Pressure

2) understanding the Principles

2
 Pressure
Pressure = force per unit area

Pressure, P = Force, F , N m-2 or Pa (Pascal)

Area, A

1 N m-2 = 1 Pa
Non SI units used for measuring pressure
include mm Hg, mm air or atmosphere (atm)

Pressure increases when:

 the surface area decreases
 the acting force increases
 Example

An elephant has a weight of 54000 N. Each foot of

the elephant has an area of 1500 cm2. What is the
pressure exerted by the elephant on the ground if it
stands:
a) One foot?
b) All four feet?
 Solution

a) Given F= 54000N, A=1500cm2

F
Pressure , P 
A
54000 N
 2
0.15m
2
 360000 Nm
 360000 Pa
 Solution

b) Given F= 54000N, A=1500cm2

F
Pressure , P 
A
54000 N
 2
(0.15 x 4)m
2
 90000 Nm
 90000 Pa
 Poor Posture

Standing in bare feet permits bones

and body structures to balance
effortlessly over one another (shown
left in A).

Adding a heel underneath each

ankle joint would force a rigid body
column to pitch or tilt forward in
accommodation (shown center in B),

but gravity does not allow such an

arrangement, and so the body
spontaneously adjusts the posture to
keep from falling over (shown right in
C)
 Pressure
If a fluid (liquid or gas) has a density ρ, its pressure
P, at a point due to the fluid of height h, is given by

P = ρgh where g = gravitational field strength

< Back Therefore, for a given liquid, its pressure:
Next > - increases with depth
- increases with density
For a given point in the fluid, its pressure acts
equally in all directions.
It does not depend on the shape of containers.

3
why dam has a thicker wall?
 Atmosphere
Atmosphere is the layer of thick air which
surrounds the Earth.
The pressure exerted on the Earth’s surface by the
atmosphere is the atmospheric pressure, which
< Back can be measured using Fortin barometer or
Aneroid barometer.
Next >
1 atmosphere
= 760 cm Hg
= 10.3 m water
= 101,300 Pa

4 1 millibar = 100 Pa
 Instruments for measuring gas
pressure and atmospheric pressure
 The Principles
Pascal’s Principle:
The pressure applied to an enclosed liquid is
transmitted equally to all parts of the liquid.

< Back
Archimedes’ Principle:
Next >
When an object is immersed in a fluid the buoyant
force on the object is equal in size to the weight of
fluid displaced by the object.

Bernoulli’s Principle:
When the velocity of a fluid increases, the pressure
5 of the fluid decreases.
 Summary

What you have learned:

< Back
1. Understanding Pressure

2. Understanding the Principles

6 Thank You