Pressure

The diagram represents a basic model of a car’s braking system. A force of $20\,\text{N}$ is applied to piston P. This produces a force $F$ on piston Q. Piston P has an area of $5.0\,\text{cm}^2$ and piston Q has an area of $25\,\text{cm}^2$. What is the force $F$?

May/June 2015

The diagrams illustrate liquids held in containers. Which column of liquid produces the greatest pressure on the bottom of its container?

May/June 2015

The diagrams illustrate liquids in containers. Which column of liquid produces the largest pressure at the base of its container?

May/June 2015

The graph illustrates how the pressure of a fixed mass of gas changes with volume when the temperature is kept constant. What volume does the gas have when the pressure is 25 kPa?

May/June 2015

An experiment is set up to investigate how the pressure of a fixed mass of air at room temperature changes with volume. Fig. 3.1 shows the apparatus in use. The syringe is closed at one end, and the piston can move up and down while different metal weights are added.

May/June 2015

Each of the four beakers holds the same liquid. At which point is the pressure largest?

May/June 2016

A body of water with a depth of 10 m creates a pressure equal to atmospheric pressure. A bubble of air moves upward to the surface of a lake that is 20 m deep. When the bubble arrives at the surface, its volume is 6.0 cm$^3$. What is the volume of the air bubble at the bottom of the lake?

May/June 2016

Four beakers hold the same liquid. At which point is the pressure largest?

May/June 2016

A block with weight $W$ is placed on a face of area $A$. The gravitational field strength is $g$. What pressure does the block apply to the ground?

May/June 2016

A column of water with depth $10\,\text{m}$ produces a pressure that is the same as atmospheric pressure. An air bubble moves up to the surface of a lake that is $20\,\text{m}$ deep. At the surface, the bubble has a volume of $6.0\,\text{cm}^3$. What is the volume of the air bubble at the bottom of the lake?

May/June 2016

Two cylindrical vessels are connected together and filled with water, as illustrated. How does the pressure at point X compare with the pressure at points Y and Z?

May/June 2017

A water manometer is used to determine the pressure of a gas in a cylinder. The density of water is $1000\,\text{kg m}^{-3}$ and the gravitational field strength is $g = 10\,\text{N kg}^{-1}$. What is the gas pressure in the cylinder, measured above atmospheric pressure?

May/June 2017

Two glass containers, each holding a different liquid, are positioned beside one another. Point P is at a depth $h$ below the liquid surface in one container. Point Q is at a depth $h$ below the liquid surface in the other container. What causes the pressure at P to be different from the pressure at Q?

May/June 2017

A water manometer is used to determine the pressure of a gas in a cylinder. The density of water is $1000\,\text{kg m}^{-3}$, and the gravitational field strength $g$ is $10\,\text{N kg}^{-1}$. What is the gas pressure in the cylinder, measured above atmospheric pressure?

May/June 2017

Fig. 2.1 shows a student seated on a chair. Fig. 2.2 shows that same student with his chair leaning slightly backwards.

May/June 2017

A student explores how water flows through a hole in the base of a straight-sided plastic bottle. A small circular hole is drilled in the bottom of the bottle. A scale is marked on the side of the bottle, as shown in Fig. 2.1. The bottle is clamped in position and set above a sink. The student pours in water and removes the bung from the bottom. He starts the stopwatch as the water level passes one of the marks on the scale and stops it when the water level reaches P, a point a few centimetres above the base of the bottle. The water level drops through a distance $h$.

May/June 2017

Five blocks each have the same mass, but their base areas are different. They are all placed on a horizontal table. A graph is drawn to represent the link between the pressure exerted on the table and the block's base area. Which graph represents this link?

May/June 2018

For a car, each tyre has $100\,\text{cm}^2$ of contact area with the ground. The car’s mass is $1600\,\text{kg}$. Its weight is shared equally by the four tyres. The gravitational field strength $g$ is $10\,\text{N kg}^{-1}$. What pressure is applied to the ground?

May/June 2018

The diagram illustrates a basic mercury barometer. Which height indicates the atmospheric pressure?

May/June 2018

There are five blocks, each with the same mass but with different base areas, and all are placed on a horizontal table. A graph is drawn to illustrate how the pressure on the table varies with the block’s base area. Which graph represents this relationship?

May/June 2018

The diagram depicts a simple mercury barometer. Which height provides a measure of atmospheric pressure?

May/June 2018

A sealed packet that contains air and a snack is bought at an airport. The sealed packet is then carried onto an aircraft. During the flight, the packet gets bigger. What causes the packet to get bigger?

May/June 2018

A student determines the minimum pressure that a rectangular wooden block applies to a table.

May/June 2018

A garden table has a weight of $60\,\text{N}$ and a top surface with an area of $2.0\,\text{m}^2$. Rain is falling, and it creates a pressure of $4.0\,\text{N m}^{-2}$ on the table. If atmospheric pressure is ignored, what force does the table exert on the ground?

May/June 2019

The diagram illustrates a manometer filled with mercury and closed at one end. What change occurs in the distance $h$ when the manometer is carried to a higher point up a mountain?

May/June 2019

Certain doctors determine blood pressure with a mercury manometer. While the heart is beating, blood pressure changes by $5.6\,\text{kPa}$. The density of mercury is $14\,000\,\text{kg m}^{-3}$ and the gravitational field strength $g$ is $10\,\text{N kg}^{-1}$. What is the corresponding change in the height difference between the levels in the manometer during a heartbeat?

May/June 2019

The diagram depicts a mercury manometer with one end sealed. What occurs to the distance $h$ when the manometer is moved to a greater height up a mountain?

May/June 2019

Fig. 2.1 illustrates a gas container attached to a manometer. The manometer tube has a uniform cross-sectional area. The gas inside the container produces a pressure.

May/June 2019

Which formula for pressure is correct?

May/June 2021

A diver at a depth $d$ in sea-water experiences a total pressure of $2P$, where $P$ denotes atmospheric pressure. At what depth does the pressure become $4P$?

May/June 2021

An object is situated at a depth $d$ beneath the surface of a liquid with density $\rho$. Which expression does the pressure acting on the object depend on?

May/June 2021

The diagram indicates the dimensions of a box with mass $M$ and weight $W$ resting on a table. What pressure is exerted on the table by the box?

May/June 2021

A barometer is a device that measures atmospheric pressure. In one kind of barometer, the height of a liquid column in a tube is measured. In which diagram does the height $h$ show atmospheric pressure?

May/June 2022

A manometer is filled with mercury of density $14\,000\,\text{kg m}^{-3}$. It is linked to a gas supply, and the difference between the mercury levels is $72\,\text{mm}$. Atmospheric pressure is $100\,\text{kPa}$. The gravitational field strength $g$ is $10\,\text{N kg}^{-1}$. What is the pressure of the gas supply?

May/June 2022

A water manometer is shown in Fig. 8.1.

May/June 2022

Fig. 3.1 depicts a syringe fixed upright in a wooden block and sealed at one end. A plunger can slide freely within the syringe. Air is trapped in the syringe. The air in the syringe exerts pressure on the syringe walls.

May/June 2022

An African elephant has a mass of $6000\,\text{kg}$, and the area of each of its four feet is $0.20\,\text{m}^2$. The gravitational field strength $g$ is $9.8\,\text{N kg}^{-1}$. What is the average pressure exerted by the elephant when it is standing still on all four feet on level ground?

May/June 2023

A student forces a drawing pin into a wooden board, as shown in Fig. 4.1.

May/June 2023

A camera is lowered into water and left at a depth of $8.0\,\text{m}$. Atmospheric pressure $= 100\,000\,\text{Pa}$. Density of water $= 1000\,\text{kg m}^{-3}$. Calculate the total pressure acting on the camera.

May/June 2024

A small aircraft lifts off from the level deck of a ship. Before it can take off, a holdback bar keeps the aircraft fixed in position. Once the holdback bar is let go, the aircraft is drawn along the deck by a steam-driven piston, as shown in Fig. 2.1. The steam applies a very large pressure to the piston.

May/June 2024

A builder places two identical, heavy stone tiles on soft ground. One tile stands upright, while the other lies flat. After a few hours, the upright tile has begun to sink into the soft ground. The flat tile has not yet started to sink. Which row gives the correct comparison of the forces and pressures exerted by the tiles on the ground?

May/June 2025

There are four beakers, each holding the same liquid. At which point is the pressure highest?

May/June 2025

A hammer drives a nail into a block of wood. The nail’s weight is negligible. The hammer applies a force $F_H$ and a pressure $p_H$ to the nail. The nail applies a force $F_W$ and a pressure $p_W$ to the wood. How do these forces and pressures compare?

May/June 2025

The pressure at a point below the surface of a liquid depends on how deep the point is and on the liquid’s density. Which two changes both make the pressure below the surface of a liquid larger?

May/June 2025

Fig. 3.1 shows a car tyre that has gone flat. It needs inflating.

May/June 2025

A block with weight $900\,\text{N}$ has rectangular faces. The diagram gives the side lengths. The block may lie on any one of its faces. What is the least pressure that the block can apply to the ground when it is resting on one of its faces?

Oct/Nov 2015

A U-tube filled with water is being used as a manometer. If one side of the manometer is attached to a low-pressure chamber, the two water levels in the manometer move by $20\,\text{cm}$. The gravitational field strength $g$ is $10\,\text{N kg}^{-1}$. The density of water is $1000\,\text{kg m}^{-3}$. By how much is the pressure in this chamber below atmospheric pressure?

Oct/Nov 2015

A movable piston seals a gas inside a cylinder. The gas column has a length of $20\,\text{cm}$ and the pressure in the cylinder is $p$. The piston is drawn out by $30\,\text{cm}$, so the gas column is now $50\,\text{cm}$ long. The gas temperature remains constant. What is the gas pressure now?

Oct/Nov 2015

A rectangular storage tank has a base measuring $2.0\,\text{m}$ by $3.0\,\text{m}$. Paraffin fills the tank to a depth of $3.0\,\text{m}$. The density of paraffin is $800\,\text{kg m}^{-3}$ and the gravitational field strength is $10\,\text{N kg}^{-1}$. What pressure is produced at the bottom of the tank by the paraffin?

Oct/Nov 2015

A piston with an area of $10\,\text{cm}^2$ is moved in slowly into a very large cylinder that contains gas at a pressure of $10\,\text{N cm}^{-2}$. As the piston travels a distance of $0.10\,\text{m}$, the gas pressure stays constant. What force does the gas exert on the piston, and what work is done by the piston on the gas?

Oct/Nov 2015

A tank that is very deep is used to train sailors to escape from submarines. It is cylindrical and open to the air at the top. Fig. 3.1 illustrates the tank. The area of the tank’s base is $45\,\text{m}^2$ and water fills the tank to a depth of 32 m.

Oct/Nov 2015

Atmospheric pressure is $100\,000\,\text{Pa}$. What force is exerted by the atmosphere on the top surface of a pond with surface area $20\,\text{m}^2$?

Oct/Nov 2016

A large tank contains oil with density $8.5 \times 10^2\,\text{kg m}^{-3}$. The gravitational field strength $g$ is $10\,\text{N kg}^{-1}$. What is the pressure due to the oil $6.0\,\text{m}$ beneath the surface?

Oct/Nov 2016

Air is enclosed in a cylinder by a piston. The piston is then pushed further into the cylinder. How do the pressure and the volume of the air in the syringe change?

Oct/Nov 2016

A manometer is used to measure the pressure of the gas supply in the laboratory. Which distance indicates the gas pressure above atmospheric pressure?

Oct/Nov 2016

The diagram illustrates a mercury manometer attached to a container of gas. Mercury has a density of $14\,000\,\text{kg m}^{-3}$. The gravitational field strength $g$ is $10\,\text{N kg}^{-1}$. What pressure difference exists between the gas in the container and the atmosphere?

Oct/Nov 2017

The diagram depicts a mercury manometer attached to a gas container. Mercury has a density of $14\,000\,\text{kg m}^{-3}$. The gravitational field strength $g$ is $10\,\text{N kg}^{-1}$. What is the pressure difference between the gas in the container and the atmosphere?

Oct/Nov 2017

Fig. 2.1 depicts a can of compressed air being used to remove dust from a computer keyboard.

Oct/Nov 2017

A horizontal solid rectangular concrete block is resting on level ground, with one of its largest faces touching the ground. Fig. 3.1 gives the block’s dimensions. The block has a weight of 240 N.

Oct/Nov 2017

A long tube filled with mercury is turned upside down into a small dish of mercury. The mercury level inside the tube drops, so a vacuum remains at the top. When atmospheric pressure falls, which length becomes smaller?

Oct/Nov 2018

Four different liquids are added to four separate containers. In which container does the liquid exert the largest pressure at the base of the container?

Oct/Nov 2018

A rectangular metal block weighs $6.0\,\text{N}$ and has dimensions of $3.0\,\text{cm} \times 4.0\,\text{cm} \times 5.0\,\text{cm}$. What is the least pressure it can produce when it is placed on a horizontal surface?

Oct/Nov 2018

A long tube, completely filled with mercury, is turned upside down in a small dish of mercury. The mercury level inside the tube drops, creating a vacuum at the top. If the atmospheric pressure falls, which length decreases?

Oct/Nov 2018

A tiny crack develops in an oil tank and a jet of oil is forced out through the crack. The oil strikes the floor at P, where a puddle of oil begins to spread. Fig. 2.1 shows the oil tank. The gravitational field strength $g$ is $10\,\text{N kg}^{-1}$. The density of the oil is $940\,\text{kg m}^{-3}$ and the crack is $3.3\,\text{m}$ below the oil surface.

Oct/Nov 2018

Nail X is driven into wood. Nail Y is driven into the same wood using the same force. Which nail travels the greatest distance into the wood, and why?

Oct/Nov 2019

The list shows the symbols for several physical quantities. acceleration of free-fall $g$ atmospheric pressure $P$ density of water $\rho$ depth of water $h$ From the list, which quantities are needed to work out the total pressure at the bottom of a lake?

Oct/Nov 2019

The diagram illustrates three tubes P, Q and R. In each tube, air is trapped by a column of water. Which statement is correct?

Oct/Nov 2019

Fig. 1.1 illustrates a tube filled with mercury turned upside down in a dish containing mercury. At first, a small piece of glass seals the open end of the tube. Fig. 1.2 shows the tube after the piece of glass has been removed. The labels in Fig. 1.1 are: tube, mercury, piece of glass, dish. Fig. 1.2 includes point X.

Oct/Nov 2019

A student is using a pump to fill a bicycle tyre with air. Fig. 2.1 illustrates the pump and the tyre. The diagram labels: handle, piston, pump, trapped air, valve, tyre.

Oct/Nov 2019

A mercury manometer is employed to determine the pressure of a gas. The atmospheric pressure is $p_0$ and the density of mercury is $\rho$. What is the gas pressure?

Oct/Nov 2020

The lake water has density $1000\,\text{kg m}^{-3}$. At a point $25\,\text{m}$ below the lake surface, the total pressure is $3.5 \times 10^{5}\,\text{Pa}$. The gravitational field strength is $10\,\text{N kg}^{-1}$. An underwater depth gauge contains a small cylinder, as shown in Fig. 8.1.

Oct/Nov 2020

If the atmosphere exerts a pressure of $0.10\,\text{MPa}$, the mercury column in a barometer has a height of $0.76\,\text{m}$. What atmospheric pressure is present when the mercury in the simple barometer stands at $0.57\,\text{m}$?

Oct/Nov 2021

A diver underwater travels from the sea into a lake of fresh water. The density of the water in the lake is lower than that of the sea. At which position does the diver feel the least pressure from the water?

Oct/Nov 2021

Piston X is forced into a hydraulic cylinder. As a result, piston X creates a pressure $P_X$ in the liquid inside the cylinder. The diagram is a view of the cylinder from above. Two further pistons, Y and Z, are present in the cylinder. The pressures acting on piston Y and on piston Z are $P_Y$ and $P_Z$. What relationship links $P_X$, $P_Y$ and $P_Z$?

Oct/Nov 2021

A hydraulic press is used at a recycling centre to compact waste material. Fig. 7.1 shows the press from the side.

Oct/Nov 2021

The contact area of each tyre of a car with the ground is $100\,\text{cm}^2$. The car’s mass is $1600\,\text{kg}$. Its weight is shared equally by the four tyres. The gravitational field strength $g$ is $10\,\text{N kg}^{-1}$. Calculate the pressure acting on the ground.

Oct/Nov 2022

The pressure $P$ of a sample of trapped air is changed. The mass and temperature of the trapped air stay constant. Which graph shows the way the volume $V$ of the air changes with pressure $P$?

Oct/Nov 2022

The contact area of each tyre with the ground is $100\,\text{cm}^2$. The car’s mass is $1600\,\text{kg}$. Its weight is shared equally between the four tyres. The gravitational field strength $g$ is $10\,\text{N kg}^{-1}$. Calculate the pressure applied to the ground.

Oct/Nov 2022

One end of a curved glass tube is open, while the other end is sealed. A dense liquid is poured into the tube, which traps air at the closed end. Figure 3.1 shows the tube, the liquid and the trapped air.

Oct/Nov 2022

Liquids X and Y are each poured into beakers of different sizes. Liquid X has a density of $1000\,\text{kg m}^{-3}$, while liquid Y has a density of $900\,\text{kg m}^{-3}$. For which beaker is the pressure at the base greatest?

Oct/Nov 2023

A swimmer is positioned on the bottom of a pool. The water in the pool has a density of $1000\,\text{kg m}^{-3}$, and the gravitational field strength is $9.8\,\text{N kg}^{-1}$. Which expression gives the pressure exerted on the swimmer by the water?

Oct/Nov 2023

A man is struggling to drive a wooden post into the soil. How could he make it easier for the post to be pushed in?

Oct/Nov 2023

Fig. 4.1 shows a tall vertical tube, closed at the lower end and open at the upper end. The tube has a length of $1.0\,\text{m}$. The tube’s cross-sectional area is $4.0 \times 10^{-4}\,\text{m}^2$. It contains a liquid with density $1.4 \times 10^{4}\,\text{kg m}^{-3}$. The atmospheric pressure is $1.0 \times 10^{5}\,\text{Pa}$.

Oct/Nov 2023

A student examines the indentation produced by a glass ball on the surface of modelling clay.

Oct/Nov 2023

A cylindrical container contains a liquid. The diameter of the cylinder’s base is $d$. The liquid has mass $m$ and depth $h$. Which expression gives the pressure exerted by the liquid on the base of the cylinder?

Oct/Nov 2024

The diagram shows an instrument for measuring atmospheric pressure. The density of mercury is $1.4 \times 10^4\,\text{kg m}^{-3}$. What is the atmospheric pressure?

Oct/Nov 2024

A glass beaker with mass $m$ is stationary on a horizontal surface. The base of the beaker is a circle of radius $r$. Fig. 2.1 shows the beaker while liquid from container X is being poured in. At the beginning, the beaker is empty. At time $t = 0$, the tap is opened and liquid from container X flows slowly into the beaker at a constant rate. At time $t = T$, the liquid stops flowing into the beaker.

Oct/Nov 2024

Fig. 4.1 shows a large syringe with the nozzle sealed by wax. A piston is fitted inside the syringe. The air in the syringe is at atmospheric pressure, $1.0 \times 10^5\,$Pa. The volume of the air in the syringe is $1.2 \times 10^{-4}\,$m$^3$. The area of the piston end that is in contact with the air is $3.5 \times 10^{-3}\,$m$^2$. Friction between the piston and the syringe is negligible.

Oct/Nov 2024

A sample of gas is measured for pressure and volume while the temperature is kept constant, and the results are shown on a graph. The pressure is reduced to $12.5\text{ kPa}$. What is the new volume of this gas sample?

Oct/Nov 2025

The diagram represents an athlete performing press-ups on a floor. Both hands are in contact with the floor. The contact area of each hand with the floor is S. During each press-up, the athlete’s toes serve as the pivot. The athlete’s weight $W$ acts through point X. The distance from his toes to point X is three quarters of the distance from his toes to his shoulders. What pressure is produced on the palm of each of the athlete’s hands?

Oct/Nov 2025

A block of wood rests on a bench. The pressure on the bench caused by the block is $1.0\text{ Pa}$. The area of the block touching the base is $A$. Which statement could be correct?

Oct/Nov 2025

Four different liquids are each poured into four separate containers. In which container is the force exerted by the liquid on the base of the container greatest?

Oct/Nov 2025