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Hydrostatic Pressure Formula:
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Hydrostatic pressure is the pressure exerted by a fluid at equilibrium at a given point within the fluid, due to the force of gravity. It increases in proportion to depth measured from the surface because of the increasing weight of fluid exerting downward force from above.
The calculator uses the hydrostatic pressure formula:
Where:
Explanation: The pressure at any point in a static fluid depends only on the depth of that point, the density of the fluid, and the gravitational acceleration.
Details: Calculating hydrostatic pressure is crucial in various engineering applications, including hydraulic systems, dam design, underwater construction, and understanding blood pressure in medical contexts.
Tips: Enter fluid density in kg/m³, gravitational acceleration in m/s² (9.81 m/s² on Earth), and height/depth in meters. All values must be positive numbers.
Q1: Does this formula work for all fluids?
A: Yes, the formula applies to all incompressible fluids. For compressible fluids like gases, additional factors need to be considered.
Q2: Why is gravitational acceleration important?
A: The pressure results from the weight of the fluid above, which is directly proportional to gravitational acceleration.
Q3: What are typical density values for common fluids?
A: Water is approximately 1000 kg/m³, seawater is about 1025 kg/m³, and mercury is 13590 kg/m³.
Q4: How does pressure change with depth in oceans?
A: Pressure increases by approximately 1 atmosphere (101.3 kPa) for every 10 meters of depth in seawater.
Q5: Is atmospheric pressure included in this calculation?
A: No, this formula calculates only the pressure due to the fluid column. For total pressure at a depth, you would add atmospheric pressure.