2.
Pressure
To find the pressure at a point A in a fluid, we first need to find a
refeernce point in the same connected fluid where the pressure is already known:
- If the pressure is given to us at some point, then that is the reference point.
- A surface of the fluid can be the reference point if it is in equilibrium with...
- the open atmosphere, in which case 101,000Pa (unless otherwise specified)
- a vacuum, in which case
- a gas with a known pressure
Once we've found the reference point, the pressure at point A is
Some tips:
- If point A is below the reference point, then is positive; if above, then is negative.
- All points at the same level in a fluid have the same pressure.
- Use the density of the fluid. For water, use .
- The reference point must be in the same connected fluid as point A; every fluid has its own reference point.
- For relatively small scales, a single continuous gas can be assumed to have the same pressure everywhere.