Pressure facts for kids
Pressure means how much force something is pushing on something else with. It is expressed as force acting per unit area:
P = F / A
(Pressure = Force divided by Area that force is acting on)
Pressure is directly proportional to force and inversely proportional to area, so the same amount of force applied by a hand will produce less pressure than when applied by something smaller, like a finger.
Pressure is also related to density. If a solid or a fluid is more dense, it has a larger weight, and therefore exerts a larger force, over the same area.
The standard unit of pressure is the Pascal (Pa) named after French physicist Blaise Pascal, who did much work on pressure. 1 pascal = a force of 1 newton per square meter.
Atmospheric pressure is the pressure exerted by oxygen and other molecules (the atmosphere basically) on a body/point/area. Atmospheric pressures is measured using instruments such as the barometer which uses the principles of pressure and vaccum to measure the atmospheric pressure.
Images for kids
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Mercury column
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The effects of an external pressure of 700 bar on an aluminum cylinder with 5 mm (0.197 in) wall thickness
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Water escapes at high speed from a damaged hydrant that contains water at high pressure
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Low-pressure chamber in Bundesleistungszentrum Kienbaum, Germany
See also
In Spanish: Presión para niños
