Middle School Physical Science: Fluid Forces - Pressure of Fluids — Flashcards | Middle School Physical Science | FatSkills

Middle School Physical Science: Fluid Forces - Pressure of Fluids — Flashcards

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All fluids exert pressure. The particles of fluids are constantly moving in all directions at random. As the particles move, they keep bumping into each other and into anything else in their path. These collisions cause pressure, which is the result of force acting on a given area. Pressure shows how concentrated the force is. The smaller the area to which a given force is applied, the greater the pressure is on that area. When particles of a fluid are crowded together in one place, they quickly spread out to fill whatever space is available. That's because fluid particles always move from a region of higher pressure to a region of lower pressure until the pressure is the same throughout.    

Pressure can be calculated using this equation:    
Pressure = Force   /  Area    

In this equation, force is expressed in newtons (N) and area is expressed in square meters (m2). Therefore, pressure is expressed in N/m2, which is the SI unit for pressure. This unit is also called the pascal (Pa).  

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Why do fluids exert pressure?
Their particles are constantly moving.
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