Pressure

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Pressure is the ratio of force applied per area covered…

P = ^F / _A

where:

P is the pressure,

F is the normal force,

A is the area of the surface on contact.

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Pressure is the amount of force acting per unit area. The symbol for pressure is p or P. The IUPAC recommendation for pressure is a lower-case p. However, upper-case P is widely used. The usage of P vs p depends on the field in which one is working, on the nearby presence of other symbols for quantities such as power and momentum, and on writing style. The unit of pressure is the “pascal” or “Pa” . Pa = ^N / _{m ²}

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How is pressure measured?

The standard unit of measure for pressure is the pascal which is abbreviated as "Pa." It is also the newton per square meter as shown by the formula above. Other units that are used for pressure include pounds per square inch (psi), the bar, and the standard atmosphere (atm).

Example

If a block weighs 50 N and is lying on a side with area 5m by 10m, what is the pressure exerted on the surface?

Ans :

Pressure = Force ÷ Area

P = 50 N ÷ (5m x 10m)

P = 50 N ÷ (50m2)

P = 1 pascals

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