Pressure (CIE A Level Physics)

• Pressure tells us how concentrated a force is
• Pressure is defined as:

The force per unit area

• Pressure is calculated using the following equation:

• Where:
  • p = pressure in pascals (Pa)
    • 1 Pa = 1 N m^-2
  • F = force in newtons (N)
  • A = area in metres squared (m²)

• Pressure, unlike force, is a scalar
•  Therefore pressure does not have a specific direction

• If a force is spread over a large area it will result in a small pressure
• If a force is spread over a small area it will result in a large pressure

Pressure of different styles of shoes

High-heeled shoes exert a greater pressure than flat shoes because the same force (weight) is spread over a smaller area