A liquid in a container exerts pressure because of its weight.
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.
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If a fluid (liquid or gas) has a density
ρ, its pressure P, at a point due to the fluid of height h, is given by
where g = gravitational acceleration
Therefore, for a given liquid, its pressure:
i. increases with depth
ii. increases with density
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For a given point in the fluid, its pressure acts equally in all directions.
It does not depend on the shape of containers,
only on its depth.
Quiz: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.