3 FORCES AND PRESSURE

3.1 UNDERSTANDING PRESSURE

1. Define Pressure Pressure is force per unit area

2. State pressure’s
formula Pressure = Force
Area
F
P=
A

The SI unit : Nm-2 = Pascal = Pa

3. State relationship The pressure of a given force increases as the
between pressure and surface area decreases.
area.
4. Describe applications involving High Pressure
Increasing the pressure by reducing the area
A sharp knife has a very The studs on a football Nails, needles and
small surface area on its boot have only a small pins have very sharp
cutting edge so that high area of contact with the ends with very small
pressure can be exerted ground. The pressure surface areas. When
to cut the meat. under the studs is high a force is applied to
enough for them to the head of a nail, the
sink into the ground, pressure will drive its
which gives extra grip. sharp end into a
piece of wood easily.

The sole of an ice is fixed Racing bicycles need

a narrow metal bar. The very high air pressure
high pressure on surface inside the tyres,
of the ice so that the ice because the narrow
melts and allowing the tyres have a very small
ice skater to glide contact area with the
smoothly . road. The hard road
surface can support
the high pressure
under the wheels.
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 5. Application involving Low Pressure
Reducing the pressure by increasing the area
Skis have a large area to A tractor moving on A wide shoulder pad
reduce the pressure on soft ground has wide of a heavy bag will
the snow so that they do tires to reduce the reduce the pressure
not sink in too far. pressure on the exerted on the
ground so that they shoulder of the
will not sink into the person carrying the
ground. bag.

Example 1
A block of metal of
dimensions 0.5 m x 0.6 m
x 1.0 m has a mass of
300 kg. Calculate the
maximum pressure
acting on the ground.

A student pressing a thumbtack

into a piece of wood with a force of
20 N. The surface area of the head
of the thumbtack is 1 cm2 and the
cross-sectional area of the tip of the
thumbtack is 0.01 cm2.
Calculate:
(a) the pressure exerted by the
student’s thumb on the head
of the thumbtack
(b) the pressure of the tip of the
thumbtack on the wood.
(c) What conclusion can be
drawn from your answers to
(a) and (b)?
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3.2 UNDERSTANDING PRESSURE IN LIQUIDS

What is A liquid in a container exerts pressure because of its

pressure in weight.
liquid? For example, if you try to put your finger over the end of a
tap when it is turned on, you can feel the pressure of the
water in the pipe.
Characteristics of Pressure in a liquid.

The pressure at any The pressure in a liquid The pressure in a liquid

point in a liquid, at a does not depend on the acts equally in all
particular depth, acts area of its surface. directions and does not
equally in all depend on the shape of
directions. the container.
Relate depth The pressure in a liquid is directly
to pressure proportional to the depth.
in a liquid . The pressure in a liquid increases with
depth.

Relate The pressure in a liquid is

density to directly proportional to the
pressure in density of the liquid.
a liquid

Derive the formula for The container on the right has a base area A. It is
the pressure in a filled to a depth h with a liquid of density ρ.
liquid. Calculate:
(a) volume of liquid = Ah

(b)mass of liquid = ρV = ρAh

(c) weight of liquid = mg = ρAhg

(d)force on base = ρAhg

F ρAhg
(e) pressure = = = ρgh
A A
∴ Pressure in liquid = ρgh
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Solve problems involving pressure in liquids .
Example 1
If the density of sea water is 1150 kgm-3,
calculate the pressure below 40m of sea water
due to the water alone.

Example 2
The figure shows a cylinder containing liquid
mercury.

What is the pressure caused by the liquid

mercury at the point P?
[ Density of liquid mercury is 1.36 x 105 kg m-3 ]
Describe applications of pressure in liquids .
1. Dam holds water at high altitude.
The wall of the dam has to be
thicker at the base. Explain.

The wall of a dam is much thicker

at the bottom than at the top
because it must withstand the
increased lateral pressure in
depths of the water.
2. Water is stored in water tank at
higher level. Why?
Normally a water tank is placed
at higher level so as to supply
water at greater pressure.

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3. Submarine is built with thick wall.
Explain.
Submarine is built with thick wall so as
to withstand enormous pressure at
greater depth.

4. A patient receiving intravenous drips of a

certain fluid from a bottle. In order for the
fluid to flow into the vein, the bottle must
be placed at a height above the injection
site. Why?
The liquid solution is at a higher pressure
so it has sufficient pressure to flow into
the veins of the patient.

3.3 UNDERSTANDING GAS PRESSURE AND ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE

Explain gas Gas pressure is the force per unit area exerted by the
pressure gas molecules as they collide with the walls of their
container.
Explain • Atmospheric pressure is the pressure caused by the
atmospheric weight of the air above us.
pressure . • Atmospheric pressure acts equally in all directions.
• Atmospheric pressure varies with the height of the
object above sea level. It decreases with the altitude or
the height above sea level. At higher altitudes, the
density and the temperature of the air are lower. As a
result, the frequency of collisions of the molecules is
lower. Hence, atmospheric pressure is lower.
Describe
activities to
show
existence of
atmospheric
pressure

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 Fill the glass to the top with A metal can containing
water and wet rim slightly. water is heated until the
Lie the cardboard on the water in it vaporizes.
top of the glass. Allow the steam to exit
Hold the card firmly in place from the mouth of the can.
and turn the glass over. The can is then capped and
Take away your hand. cooled down with tap
The cardboard does not fall water.
and the water remains in the As the result , the can is
glass. crushed and crumpled.
The explanation for this The explanation for this
phenomenon is that the phenomenon is that the
resultant force caused by pressure inside the metal
the atmospheric pressure can decrease and the
acts on the surface of the external atmospheric
cardboard is greater than pressure ,which is higher
the weight of the water in compresses the metal can.
the glass.

Describe (i) Drinking straw (ii) Rubber sucker

applications
of atm.
pressure

When we suck through a .

straw, the air pressure in
the straw is lowered. When the sucker is pressed
Then the pressure of the into place, most of the air
atmosphere acting on the behind it is squeezed out. The
surface of the drink in sucker is held in position by
the glass pushes the the pressure of atmosphere
water up the straw and on the outside surface of the
into our mouth. rubber. If the seal between the
sucker and the surface is
airtight , the sucker will stick
permanently.

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 (iii) Syringe (iv)Vacuum cleaner

Pulling up the piston A vacuum cleaner

reduces the atmospheric produces only a partial
pressure inside the cyclider. vacuum. The fan inside the
The atmospheric pressure cyclinder blows air out of
on the liquid surface then the vents. Which less air
pushes the luquid up into inside , the air pressure
the syringe. there drops. The
If we then hold the plunger atmospheric pressure
in place and lift the syringe outside then pushes air up
out of liquid , none will fall the cleaner hose ,carrying
out. This is again due to dust and dirt with it.
atmospheric pressure .
Measuring (i)The Simple Fortin
atmospheric barometer
pressure The simple barometer Fortin
By using is along glasstube that has
Fortin been filled with mercury and
Barometer the inverted into a dish of
mercury.
The mercury column rises
or falls according to the If the vertical height of the
pressure of air on the mercury is h cm ,
mercury in the dish. thefore the atmospheric
The space above the pressure reading is
mercury column isa vacuum “ h cm mercury ”.
so it exerts no pressure on
the top of the mercury
column.

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How does The height, h will remains The height, h will
the height ,h unchanged when increases when the
of the Fortin (i) the diameter of the glass barometer is slowly
barometer tube increases submerged in water.
vary? (ii) the glass tube is tilted
(iii) the glass tube is The height, h will
lowered further into the decreases when
dish (i) the vacuum space in
(iv) the glass tube is lifted the glass tube is filled
up from the dish with gas
(v) the quantity of mercury in (ii) the barometer is
the dish is increased carried out to a
mountain

Example 4
The figure shows a mercury barometer is placed in
a school laboratory where the atmospheric
pressure is
75 cm Hg.

(a) What is the value of h

(b) What is the length of the vacuum space when
the glass tube is
(i) uplifted at height of 5 cm
(ii) lowered further into the dish at a depth of
4 cm

(c) If the density of mercury is

1.36 x 104 kgm-3 and the density of water is 1 x
103 kgm-3, determine
(i) the atmospheric pressure in the units Pa
(ii) the value of h if the mercury is replaced by
water.

Example 5
The figure shows a barometer. The vacuum space
is filled with a gas X.

What is the pressure of the gas X?

[ Take atmospheric pressure = 76 cm Hg ]

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Measuring Aneroid Barometer When the atmospheric
atmospheric pressure decreases , the
pressure container will expand.
By using When the atmospheric
Aneroid pressure increases, the
Barometer container will constrict.
The slight movement of
the box is magnified by a
lever system which is
The Aneroid barometer can connected to a pointer.
be used as an altimeter by
mountaineers or in an aero
plane to determine its
altitude.
Measuring gas pressure by using manometer

Pgas = Patmosfera + h
Pgas = Patmosfera - h
Pgas = Patmosfera

Example 1
The figure shows a manometer
containing mercury is connected to a
gas supply.

Calculate the pressure of the gas

supply in the units
(i) cm Hg
(ii) Pa
[ Density of mercury = 1.36 x 104 kg m-3
and Atmospheric pressure = 76 cm Hg ]

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Measuring When the gas supply is
gas connected to a
pressure Bourdon gauge, the
by using pressure in the curved
Bourdon metallic tube will try to
Gauge straighten it.
Hence the pointer will
rotate.
The magnitude of the
gas pressure can be
read off the scale of the
gauge.

3.4 APPLYING PASCAL’S PRINCIPLE

Define Pascal’s principle states that when pressure is applied to an

Pascal’s enclosed fluid, the pressure will be transmitted equally
Principle throughout the whole enclosed fluid.

Experiment When the piston is pushed

to verify into the glass sphere the jet
the of water is shot out from the
Pascal’s holes in the glass sphere
Principle with the same speed.
This is because the
pressure acting on the
water is transferred
uniformly throughout the
water.

Pascal’s Output force = output piston area

Principle in Input force input piston area
Mathematic
Expression F2 = A2
F1 A1

Explain • A small input force, F1 is applied to the small piston

hydraulic resulting in a large output force, F2.
system • Based on the Pascal’s Principle, the pressure is
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 transmitted uniformly in all directions,
F1 = F2
A1 A2

• When incompressible fluid is moved through a hydraulic

system, the volume through which the input system
moved must be the same as the volume through which the
output system, Hence
A1d1 = A2d2
• Hydraulic systems acts as a force multiplier. They
multiply the input force by a certain factor to gain a larger
output force.
• The magnitude of the force at the large piston depends on
(a) the force, F1, applied to the small piston,
(b) the ratio of the surface area of the piston,
• A hydraulic system must not contain any air bubbles in
any position of its hydraulic fluid system. This will reduce
the efficiency of the system as part of the applied force
will be used up to compress the air bubbles.

Example 2 Determine
The figure shows a basic hydraulic system (a) The pressure transmitted in the
has small and large pistons with cross- hydraulic fluid.
sectional area of 0.005 m2 and 0.1 m2 (b) The mass of the load.
respectively. A force of 20 N is applied to (c) If the small piston is pushed down at
the small piston. a depth a 0.04 m, what is the distance
moved by the large piston.

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Describe application of Pascal’s Principle

(2) Hidraulik Jack When the handle is pulled, valve P is

still closed and valve Q opens so the
pressure can be sent to the larger
piston. The large piston will rise.
While the small piston is pulled out,
valve Q closes and valve P opens so
that the oil in the tank enter into the
hydraulic cylinder as a result of
atmospheric pressure.
By moving the push-pull handle a
number of times , the large piston can
be raised carrying a heavy load.

(3) Hidraulik Brake

A small force acting at the pedal can
transmit a large force to all wheels
simultaneously to stop the car.
It is because the pressure will be
transferred through the pedal brake
liquid to car’s tyre .

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3.5 APPLYING ARCHIMEDES’ PRINCIPLE
Explain The buoyant force is an upward force resulting from an
Buoyant object being wholly or partially immersed in a fluid.
force
Relate • Buoyant force makes thing seem to be lighter.
buoyant
force with
the actual
weight and
apparent
weight

• The weight of an object in air is its actual weight

• The weight measured when the object is immersed in a
fluid is its apparent weight.
• The apparent weight loss of the object is due to buoyant
force.
• When in water, the object experiences two forces:
(a) The actual weight which acts downwards
(b) The buoyant force which acts upwards.
• The buoyant force is equal to the apparent loss in weight.
Buoyant force = actual weight – apparent weight
= 25 – 15 = 10 N
• The object displaces a volume of water. The bigger the
volume of the object immersed, the bigger the volume of
the liquid displaced.
• Volume of liquid displaced = volume of the submerged
part of the object.
Relate 1. Pour water slowly into a eureka can until it flows out
buoyant from the spout.
force to the 2. Weight an empty beaker and place it under the spout of
weight of the eureka can
the liquid 3. Suspend a ball of plasticine at the hook of a spring
displaced. balance by a string and weigh it in air.
4. Lower the plasticine into the eureka can until the
plasticine is completely immersed in water. Record the
reading of the spring balance

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 5. When there is no more water flowing out from the spout,
weigh the beaker and water.

Weight of plasticine in air = x N (actual weight)

Weight of plasticine in water = y N (apparent weight)
Weight of the empty beaker = z N
Weight of the beaker and displaced water = w N
Buoyant force = Actual weight – Apparent weight
= (x – y) N
Weight of displaced water = (w – z) N.
The result shows that the value of (x – y) = (w – z)
So the buoyant force = the weight of water displacec
State Archimedes’ Principle state that “ When an object is
Archimedes immersed in a fluid (a liquid or a gas) ,the buoyant force
Principle ( upthrust force) on the object is equal to the weight of
fluid displaced by the object.

From Archimedes’s Principle :

Buoyant Force = Weight of fluid displace

= mg (note : F = ma)
= ρVg (note : ρ = m )
V
Thus FB = ρ V g

Where FB = Bouyant Force or Upthrust

ρ = Density of fluid
V = Volume of fluid displaced or the volume of the
object that immersed in the fluid.

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Equation for 1. Buoyant force = Weight of fluid displaced
buoyant 2. Buoyant force = ρVg
force 3. Buoyant force = Weight object in air – weight in water

Question 1
An object is hung from
a spring.
(a) What is the buoyant
force on the object in
water?

(b) What is the weight of water

displaced by the object?

(c) Determine the volume

of water displaced by
the object.
[density of water = 1000 kgm-3]

(d) What is the volume of the object?

Question 2
A stone weights 2.5 N. When it is fully
submerged
in a liquid, its apparent weight is 2.2
N.
Calculate the density of liquid if its
volume displaced by the
stone is 25 cm3 (25 x 10-6 m3).
Buoyant If Buoyant force = weight ⇒ the object floats
Force and stationary
and Buoyant force > weight ⇒ the object moves
Flotation up
Buoyant force = weight ⇒ the object moves
down

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State the A floating object displaces its own weight of fluid in which it
Law of floats
floatation
Based on Figure (a), (b) ,(c) and (d) Example 5
write the equations in words to The figure shows a glass tube of
relate the forces acting on the mass 0.012 kg with uniform
objects when the objects float and diameter and cross-sectional area 4
stationary. x 10-4 m2 , and it is filled with sand
so that it is made vertical in a
beaker containing water.
[ Density of water is 1000 kg m-3 ]

Determine
(a) The upthrust
(b) The mass of sand in the glass
tube.

Example 4
An object of mass 5 kg floats on the
surface water. What is the upthrust
experienced by the object.

Applications of Archimedes Principle

State the condition Weight of the ship = weight of sea water

for a ship to float in displaced
sea water.
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 • A block of steel will displaced a small volume of water
Explain only. So the buoyant force acting on it is smaller than
why a boat its weight. Therefore it sinks
made of • A ship floats on the surface of the sea because the
steel will volume of water displaced by the ship is sufficiently
float in large. The weight of water displaced is large so the
water, but buoyant force acting on the ship is also greater. Weight
a block of of ship equal Buoyant force. Therefore it floats.
steel will • Although a ship is constructed of metal, which has a
sink. Larger density than water, its shape is hollow so that
the overall density of the ship is smaller than the sea
water.
• As a result, the buoyant force acting on the ship is
large enough to support its weight.

Figure 1
and 2
show a
same boat
sailing in
the sea
water and
the river.
figure 1 figure 2
A boat will
submerged ¾ The buoyant forces in the sea and in the river are the
deeper in same
the river. ¾ This is because the buoyant force is equal to the weight
of the boat which is unchanged.
¾ The density of fresh water is lower than sea water.
¾ The buoyant force of a floating boat is equal to the
weight of water displaced.
¾ The lower the density of the water, the larger the volume
of water displaced.
¾ A boat must displace more water to obtain sufficient
buoyant force to support its weight.

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If extra
weight is
put into
the boat,
why will
the boat
float lower
in the It displaces more water so that there is a larger
water? buoyant force to support the extra weight.

What is the
purpose of
Plimsoll
line mark
on a ship?

The density of sea water varies with location. It is to

ensure that a ship is loaded within safe limits, the Plimsoll
line marked on the body of the ship acts as a guide.
A ship will be submerged deeper in fresh water because
the density of fresh water is less than the sea water. For
this reason, a ship must displace more water to obtain
sufficient buoyant force to support its weight.
Moreover, a ship can float lower in the cold season as
cold water has a higher density.

SUBMARINE

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How does a A submarine has a large balast tank, which is used to
submarine control its position and depth from the surface of the sea.
sink? When the ballast tanks are filled with water, the buoyant
force is smaller than the weight of the submarine. The
How does a submarine sinks.
submarine
rises? When the ballast tanks are filled with air (removed all
water) , the buoyant force is larger than the weight of the
submarine. The submarine rises.

HIDROMETER
¾ A hydrometer is an instrument
used to measure the relative
density of liquids such as milk
or acid in accumulators.
¾ It consists of a tube with a bulb
at one end. Lead shots are
placed in the bulb to weigh it
down and enable the
hydrometer floats vertically in
the liquid.
¾ In a liquid of lesser density, a larger volume of liquid must be
displaced for the buoyant force to equal the weight. So the more the
hydrometer is submerged.
¾ The hydrometer floats higher in a liquid of higher density.

HOT AIR BALLONS

¾ A hot-air balloon displaces a large volume of air.
The buoyant force due to the surrounding air is
equal the weight of the air displaced.
¾ When buoyant force is smaller, than the weight
of the total weight of the balloon, the balloon will
rise.
¾ When the total weight of the balloon is equal to
the buoyant force, it remains floating in the air.

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3.6 UNDERSTANDING BERNOULLI’S PRINCIPLE

State Bernoulli’s principle states that The pressure of a moving

Bernoulli’s liquid decreases as the speed of the fluid increases and
principle vice versa.

Describe activity to show Bernoulli’s Principle. Explain that a resultant

force exists due to a difference in fluid pressure.
Activity 1 Activity 2

When the air is blown up in the

surface of a piece of paper, it’s
observed that the paper moves When the air is blown harder through
up. the straw ,
This happened because the air The two ping-pong balls will move
moved at a very high velocity. closely to each other.
According to Bernoulli’s The air moved at a very high velocity
Principle, the pressure of the between the balls.
moving air decreases as the According to Bernoulli’s Principle,
speed of the air increases. the pressure of the moving air
The higher atmospheric pressure decreases as the speed of the air
which acts at the bottom of the increases.
paper pushes up the paper. The higher atmospheric pressure
caused the ping-pong balls closer to
each other.
Activity 3 When the air blows harder, the ball is not falling
down. It is because the air moved at a very high
velocity between the balls and the wall of the
filter tunnel.
According to Bernoulli’s Principle, the pressure
of the moving air decreases as the speed of the
air increases. The bottom of the ball has the
higher atmospheric pressure which can hold
the ball from falling down.

56
Mark the water level in the vertical tubes P,Q and R in the following
figures.

Describe the applications of Bernoulli’s principle

A person who stands near a railway When two speed bots move faster
feels like falling into it when and closely to each other, an
suddenly a train moves with a high accident may be occurred. It is
speed passes him. It is because the because the water moved at a very
velocity of the air in front of him high velocity between the boats.
increases. According to Bernoulli’s Principle,
According to Bernoulli’s Principle, the pressure of the moving air
the pressure of the moving air decreases as the speed of the air
decreases as the speed of the air increases.
increases. The higher atmospheric The higher water pressure on either
pressure behind pushes him side of the boats caused its closer
forward. to each other.

57
A table-tennis player often gives the Bunsen burner
ball ‘top spin’ enabling a hard drive
to be hit over the net and land on
the table. A ball hit with spin
swerves considerably in its path.

When the jet of gas flows out from

the nozzle with high velocity , the
pressure in the Bunsen burner
becomes low(Bernoulli’s principle)
The figure above shows the rotating
A higher external atmospheric
surface of the ball, due to spin, and
pressure will be sucked into the air
v the air velocity. The spin of the
hole and be mixed with the gas .
ball carry some air with it, and the
The mixture of gas and air allows
resultant velocity of air on the upper
more complete combustion of the
surface will therefore be less than v,
gas.
and the lower surface greater than
v. There is therefore a pressure
difference between the upper and
lower surfaces which deflects the
ball, originally hit from right to left
in downwards direction

Insect Piston Spray Filter pump

58
When the piston is pushed, air is Water from a tap flows at high
forced out through the jet of gas at speed out of the jet of water
a high speed. (nozzle).
According to Bernoulli’s Principle, According to Bernoulli’s Principle ,
the pressure of the moving air the pressure of the moving air
decreases as the speed of the air decreases as the speed of the air
increases . increases
The higher atmospheric pressure in The higher air ssure in the vessel
the insect poison container will ‘pumps’ air from the side tube to
push the insect poison liquid up which the vessel is connected.
through the narrow metallic tube
Carburettor Aerofoil

When the engine is switched on, air

is sucked into the venture tube. The above figure shows the
Fast moving air in the narrow streamlines round a thin wing at an
section of the tube causes a low angle of attack to the air stream.
pressure at this region. It will be seen that the path of air is
The higher atmospheric pressure in longer over the upper surface than
the petrol compartment will push the lower, and therefore the speed
the petrol into the region. is greater on the upper surface. The
The petrol will mix with air before it lift is produced by the difference in
flows into the cylinder engine for pressure between the two surfaces,
combustion. which helps the plane to take-off.
In addition to its use in airplanes,
aerofoil is also used in racing cars.
In this case, the downward force
helps to stabilize the car at high
speeds.
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