Principles of Hydrostatic Pressure

PRINCIPLES OF
HYDROSTATIC PRESSURE
ENGR. RUDERICO M. ENDRIANO JR
EVSU-OCC
UNIT PRESSURE, p
 The unit pressure, meaning the intensity of pressure at any point in a fluid is the amount
of pressure per unit area.
 If the unit pressure is the same at every point on any area, A on which the total pressure is
F,
F
p
A
 If the unit pressure is different at different points, the unit pressure at any point is equal
to the total pressure on a small differential area surrounding the point divided by the
differential area.
dF
p
dA
 When there is no danger of ambiguity, the term pressure is often used as an abbreviated
expression for unit pressure.
 The resultant pressure on any plane in a fluid at rest is normal to that plane.
 By definition, a fluid at rest cannot resist a shearing stress, and therefore the pressure
must be normal to the plane.
 Pascal’s law states that at any point in a fluid at rest, the pressure is the same in all
directions.
 A liquid having a free surface is one on whose surface there is absolutely no pressure.
 In practice the free surface of a liquid is considered to be a surface that is not in contact
with the cover of the containing vessel. Such a surface may or may not be subjected to
the pressure of the atmosphere.
 The free surface of a liquid at rest is horizontal.
ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE
 The atmospheric or barometric pressure is the pressure exerted by atmosphere on every

surface with which it comes in contact.
 At sea level under normal conditions, atmospheric pressure amounts to 101.34 kPa or
14.7 psi.
 The pressure and the unit weight of the atmosphere decrease with increase in altitude.
 One of then most important indicators of weather conditions is the atmospheric pressure.
In general, a falling or low pressure indicates bad weather; rising or high pressure, good
weather.
VACUUM
 A perfect vacuum, that is a space in which there is no matter either in solid, liquid, or
gaseous form, has never been obtained.
 In a perfect vacuum there could be no pressure.
 In practice, the word “vacuum” is used frequently in connection with any space having a
pressure less than atmospheric pressure.
ABSOLUTE AND GAGE PRESSURES
 The intensity of pressure measured above absolute zero is called absolute pressure.
 Gage pressure or relative pressure is a pressure above or below the atmosphere and it can
be measured by using gages and manometers.
 Absolute pressure is equal to gage pressure plus atmospheric pressure.
 Negative gage pressures indicate the amount of vacuum.
Graphical representation of gage
and absolute pressure.
VARIATION OF PRESSURE WITH DEPTH
IN A FLUID
 In any homogeneous fluid at rest the difference in pressure between two points is the
product of the unit weight of the fluid and the difference in elevation of the points.
p1  p2  h
PRESSURE HEAD
 Pressure head represents the height, h of a column of homogeneous fluid of unit weight, γ
that will produce an intensity of pressure p.
p p1 p2
h  h
  
PRESSURE HEAD
 The pressure in a gas may be expressed in terms of hypothetical pressure head, which is
the height of column of the gas assumed to be of uniform unit weight required to produce
the given pressure.
TRANSMISSION OF PRESSURE
 The pressure at any point 1 in a liquid at rest

is equal to the pressure at any other point 2
p1  p2  h plus the pressure produced by a column of the
liquid the height of which, h, is equal to the
difference in elevation between the two points.
 A pressure applied at any point in a liquid at
rest is transmitted equally and undiminished to
every point in the liquid.
VAPOR PRESSURE
 Vapor pressure is the pressure exerted by a vapor within a closed space.

 The amount of which depends only upon the temperature and is entirely independent of
the presence or absence of air or other gases within the enclosed space.
 Vapor pressures increase with the temperature.
EXAMPLE 1
CE BOARD
A pressure gauge at elevation 8 at the side of a tank containing a liquid reads 80 kPa.
Another gauge at elevation 3 reads 120 kPa. Determine the following:
1. Specific weight
2. Density
3. Specific gravity.
Example 2
The pressure on a closed tank reads 58.86 kPa.

1. What is the equivalent height in water?
2. What is the equivalent height in terms of oil having a specific gravity of 0.85?
3. What is the equivalent height in terms of mercury having a specific gravity of 13.6?
EXAMPLE 3
 What is the equivalent height in meters of water gage for an absolute pressure of 5 atm
when the barometer reads 760 mm of Hg?
(unit weight of water =9.79 kN/m3)
 Express absolute pressure in kPa.
 Compute the gage pressure.
Example 4
The bottom of a river is 10 m below the water surface. Underneath is silt with a specific
gravity of 1.7. If the pressure at the bottom of silt layer is 111 kPa, what is thickness of the
silt?
Example 5
A mercury barometer at the base of a mountain reads 28.95 in. At the same time, another
barometer at the top of the mountain reads 23.22 in. Assuming unit weight of air to be
constant at 0.0765 lb per cu.ft, what is the approximate height of the mountain?

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PRINCIPLES OF

 The atmospheric or barometric pressure is the pressure exerted by atmosphere on every

 The pressure at any point 1 in a liquid at rest

 Vapor pressure is the pressure exerted by a vapor within a closed space.

The pressure on a closed tank reads 58.86 kPa.

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