PRESSURE QUESTIONS

Specific Objectives
 Definition of pressure
 Pressure in solids
 Factors affecting pressure in fluid (Experimental treatment required)
 Derivation of P = rgh
 Atmospheric pressure
 Simple mercury barometer, manometers
 Applications of pressure: drinking straw, syringe, siphon, hydraulic press, hydraulic brakes,
bicycle pump, force pump, lift pump

1. Air is trapped in a thin capillary tube by a thread of mercury 5cm long as shown in figure 4.

Air
16cm
5cm
Mercury
14cm 5cm
Air
Figure 4
Use the information in figure 6 to calculate the value of the value of the atmospheric pressure in mmHg (3 marks)

2. The diagram below shows a braking system.

Why is the master piston, made smaller than the slave piston? (1 mark

3. (a) Give reason why ink is most likely to ooze out of a pen when one is up in an airplane. (1mark)
(b) The figure below is a simple hydraulic machine used to raise heavy loads.
 Calculate;
(i) The pressure exerted on the oil by the force applied at A (2marks)
(ii) The load raised at B (2marks)
(iii) Give two properties which make the oil suitable for use in this machine (2marks)
(c) The height of a mountain is 1360m. The barometer reading at the base of the mountain is 74cmHg. Given that the
densities of mercury and air are 13,600Kgm -3 and 1.25Kgm-3 respectively, determine the barometer reading at the
top of the mountain.
(3 marks)

4. The figure below shows a U-tube manometer containing a gas, mercury and water. Calculate the gas pressure
acting on the mercury. (Take atmospheric pressure to be 1.05 x 105 pa, density of mercury and water to be
13600kg/m3and 1000kg/m3 respectively).
(3mks)
s
Ga
25cm
m
10c

Water
Mercury

5. A vacuum pump was used to pump out air from the glass tube immersed in liquids as shown below.

After sometime the level of water rose to position X. Mark Y the corresponding position for the paraffin level.
Give a reason for your answer. (2mks)

6. The figure below shows a simple instrument designed by a student for weighing objects.

a) State what happens if one places an item on the weighing pan. (1 mark)
 b) State two properties of water that make it suitable for this purpose. (2 marks)

7. Figure below shows a u-tube upon which a gas has been enclosed on one end with mercury in it. Calculate the
pressure of the gas.

8. The figure below shows water level in limb Q of a glass tube. Indicate the corresponding water levels in limb
N, O and P. Explain your answer. (2mks)

9. The barometric height in a town is 65cmHg. Given that the standard atmospheric pressure is 76cmHg and
the density of mercury is 13600kg/m3, determine the altitude of the town. (Density of air is 1.25kg/m3)
(2mks)

10. The figure below shows two cylinders containing a liquid and connected with a tight – fitting flexible tube.
The cylinders are fitted with air – tight pistons A and B as shown.
When equal forces, F are on the pistons as shown, what is observed? Explain the observation. (3 Mks)

11. Use the figure below to answer the questions that follow.

(i) What is the pressure resting on point A? (1mk)

(ii) What is the value of pressure difference in the instrument reading? (1mk)
(iii) If the atmosphere pressure is 760mm of mercury, what is the value of gas pressure? (2mks)

12. The figure below show a glass tumbler filled with water to the brim, a card made of manila paper is then
placed on top of a glass tumbler as shown in figure 1.

Tumbler filled with water Tumbler filled with water

upright upside down
While supporting the card with one hand the glass tumbler is carefully inverted as shown in figure (ii). It is
observed that the card remains in place without being support. Explain this observation. (2mks)

13. In the figure 2, below, U-tube contains two immiscible liquids P and Q. If the density of Q is 900kg/m³ and
that of P is 1200kg / m³, Calculate the height of liquid Q. (3 marks)
 
 
P
Q

  h

  9cm
3cm

Fig 2

14. Pressure of a laboratory water tap in a school in Nakuru is 40,000 N/m². Calculate the height of the tank from
which the water is supplied.( density of water = 1g/cm³, g=10N/kg) (2 marks)
 15. The barometric height in a town is 65cmHg. Given that the standard atmospheric pressure is 76cmHg and the
density of mercury is 13600 kg/m³, determine the altitude of the town. (Density of air is 1.25kg/m³) (2 marks)

 
16. A student wearing sharp pointed heeled shoes is likely to damage a soft wooden floor.
Explain (2 marks)

17. State the reason why trucks carrying heavy loads are fitted with many tyres. (1 mark)

18. The figure below shows a manometer attached to a gas supply. If the atmospheric pressure is
103,360Pa, calculate the pressure of the gas supply. (Take density of mercury = 13,600kgm-
3
) (3 marks)

 
A tm o s p h e r ic
p re s s u re
  Rubber

  G as
s u p p ly
 

B
 

10cm
  A

  M e rc u ry

19. A tall building has two barometers, one at the ground floor reading 750mmHg and the other
at the top reading 748mmHg. Determine the height of the building. (2 marks)

20. a) State the principle of transmission of pressure in liquids. (1 mark)

b)A mass of 80kg is being lifted by a force F applied on the other piston of the machine as
shown in figure 9.
 
Fig 9

Determine the value of F needed to just lift the 80kg mass given the density of the liquid is
 1.2g/cm³. (4 marks)
c) Give one reason why a lift pump raises water to heights less than 10m. (1 mark)
d) In an experiment, it was observed that soapy water placed on a wet smooth surface displaced
the particles of non-soapy water. Sate and explain this observation. (2 marks)