Pressure Flashcards
what is pressure?
how concentrated the force is
what is the equation for pressure?
pressure (N/cm2 or N/m2) = force (N) ÷ area (cm2 or m2)
[force is the weight of the object]
what is a Pascal?
N/m2
names after Pascal, who discovered pressure
what is the traingle for pressure?
calculate the pressure exerted by a force of 30N acting on an area of 2m2
p = f ÷ a
30 ÷ 2
= 15 N/m2
calculate the pressure exerted on a force of 20N acting on a area of 160m2
p = f ÷ a
20 ÷ 160
= 0.125 N/m2
what is the total force on an area of 3m2 on which there is a pressure of 15N/m2?
f = p x a
15 x 3
= 45 N
what is the total force on an area of 12m2on which there is a pressure of 25Pa?
f = p x a
25 x 12
= 300 N
atmospheric pressure is 100000Pa
calculate the force exerted by the air on a window of area 15m2?
f = p x a
100000 x 15
= 1, 500,000 N
a car weighs 15000N
what is the force acting on each tyre in the weight is evenly distributed among the four tyres?
15000N ÷ 4
= 3750 N
a car weighs 15000N
we have worked out that the tyres each have a force of 3750N
if each tyre has an area of contact with the ground of 60cm2, calculate the pressure of the air in the tyre
p = f ÷ a
3750 ÷ 60
= 62.5 N/cm2
why must a knife be sharp to cut easily?
a sharp knife has a small surface area in contact with the object being cut
p = f ÷ a
force is concentrated over a small area
therefore the pressure is large, making it easy to cut
why do eskimos wear snowshoes?
snowshoes have a large surface area in contact with the snow
p = f ÷ a
force (person’s weight) is spread out over a large surface area
therefore pressure is low, so the eskimo doesn’t sink
what causes air pressure?
when air particles collide with the surface, they rebound and move in the opposite direction
each collision exerts a tiny force on the surface
there are so many particles colliding that overall they exert a significant force, and hence a pressure, on the surface
how can air pressure increase?
more particles result in more collisions; therefore, pressure increases
hotter air has faster moving particles, so the number of collisions per second increases, therefore pressure increases
greater frequency of collisions = greater pressure