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Density and pressure

Pressure pad

Compare pressure from a force on an area with pressure from a depth of liquid.

P = F / A

Apparatus

  • Loaded pad
  • Changeable area
  • Column of water

Method

  1. On the pad, set the force and the area and read the pressure.
  2. Halve the area and check that the pressure doubles.
  3. Switch to the liquid column. Set the depth.
  4. Read P = hρg and notice it does not depend on how wide the column is.

No hazard on the model. A real high-pressure line is not a school experiment.

F = 400 N
Pressure
4000Pa
Force
400N
Area
0.1m²
g
10N/kg
Set-up
P = F / A = 400 / 0.1 = 4000 Pa.

Same force, smaller area, higher pressure. Deeper water, higher pressure.

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