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Fundamentals

Particles of a fluid exert pressure upon each other and upon objects immersed within or floating upon the fluid. 

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There are four similar versions of this question. Here is one of the versions:

Version 1:
Consider locations A and B in the following situations. At which location will the fluid pressure be the greatest?


 

Greatest at A
Greatest at B
Same for Each Location

 

How to Think About This Situation

The Nature of Fluid Pressure
Particles of a fluid exert pressure upon each other and upon objects immersed within or floating upon the fluid. The pressure at any given location within the fluid is dependent upon the density of the fluid and the height of that location below the surface of the fluid. Pressure is greater at deeper locations and greater for more dense fluids. The depth is measured vertically downward from the surface.

Fluid pressure at a given location does not depend upon the volume of the fluid nor on the shape of the container. Fluid pressure at a given location does not depend upon the distance of that location from the container's bottom. Fluid pressure at any given location within the fluid simply depends on how far vertically that location is from the fluid's top surface. 

 

Try these links to The Physics Classroom Tutorial for more help with understanding the concept of fluid pressure:

​Sorry. We hope to add resources in the future.
 


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