Pressure and Depth

Pressure is measured in newtons per square meters, N / m2; this is known as a pascal, Pa.

1 pascal = 1 Pa = 1 [ N / m2 ]

The force exerted is independent of the direction.

Now consider the pressure Ph at some depth h beneath the surface of a liquid:

Look at the forces on a column of the liquid -- that column has a cross section area A and a height of h.

Density

Atmospheric and Gauge Pressure
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(c) 2002, Doug Davis; all rights reserved