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Fluid Mechanics with teacher's notes

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SECTION 9-2<br />

STOP<br />

326<br />

Misconception<br />

Alert<br />

Students may confuse the pressure<br />

increase in Pascal’s principle <strong>with</strong><br />

the pressure of the fluid itself.<br />

While an increase in pressure is<br />

transmitted equally throughout a<br />

fluid, the total pressure at different<br />

points in the fluid may vary, for<br />

example, <strong>with</strong> depth.<br />

Each time you squeeze a tube of<br />

toothpaste, you experience Pascal’s<br />

principle in action.The pressure you<br />

apply by squeezing the sides of the<br />

tube is transmitted throughout the<br />

toothpaste.The increased pressure<br />

near the open mouth of the tube<br />

forces the paste out and onto your<br />

toothbrush.<br />

Figure 9-7<br />

Because the pressure is the same<br />

on both sides of the enclosed fluid<br />

in a hydraulic lift, a small force on<br />

the smaller piston (left) produces<br />

a much larger force on the larger<br />

piston (right).<br />

326<br />

Chapter 9<br />

Applied pressure is transmitted equally throughout a fluid<br />

When you pump a bicycle tire, you apply a force on the pump that in turn<br />

exerts a force on the air inside the tire. The air responds by pushing not only<br />

against the pump but also against the walls of the tire. As a result, the pressure<br />

increases by an equal amount throughout the tire.<br />

In general, if the pressure in a fluid is increased at any point in a container<br />

(such as at the valve of the tire), the pressure increases at all points inside the<br />

container by exactly the same amount. Blaise Pascal (1623–1662) noted this<br />

fact in what is now called Pascal’s principle (or Pascal’s law):<br />

PASCAL’S PRINCIPLE<br />

Pressure applied to a fluid in a closed container is transmitted<br />

equally to every point of the fluid and to the walls of the container.<br />

A hydraulic lift, such as the one shown in Figure 9-7, makes use of Pascal’s<br />

principle. A small force F 1 applied to a small piston of area A 1 causes a pressure<br />

increase in a fluid, such as oil. According to Pascal’s law, this increase in pressure,<br />

P inc, is transmitted to a larger piston of area A 2 and the fluid exerts a force<br />

F 2 on this piston. Applying Pascal’s principle and the definition of pressure<br />

gives the following equation:<br />

F 1<br />

A 1<br />

F1 F2 Pinc = ⎯⎯ = ⎯⎯ A1<br />

A2<br />

Rearranging this equation to solve for F 2 produces the following:<br />

F2 = ⎯ A2<br />

⎯F1 A1<br />

This second equation shows that the output force, F 2, is larger than the<br />

input force, F 1, by a factor equal to the ratio of the areas of the two pistons.<br />

F 2<br />

A 2<br />

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

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