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Principles of Hydrostatic Pressures

Hydraulics is an applied engineering science which treats of water and other fluid in motion.
Unit Pressure
Unit pressure or simply called pressure is the amount of force exerted by a fluid distributed uniformly
over a unit area.



If the unit pressure is not uniform over the unit area, it can be expressed as the sum of differential
pressure.




Blaise Pascal (1623 1662)
Since fluid at rest cannot resist shearing stress, pressure is always at right angle to the area where it is
acting. It is also worthy to note that the total hydrostatic force F = pA, which can be found by cross
multiplication.

Pascals Law
The French mathematician Blaise Pascal (1623 1662) states that the pressure is the same in all
directions at any point in a fluid at rest.

From the figure shown below, summation of forces in y-direction:



Since , .



Summation of forces in z-direction:



Since , .

Thus,
which can be used to conclude Pascal's Law.

Summation of forces in x-direction:


Since , .

Atmospheric, Gauge, and Absolute Pressures
Atmospheric pressure is the weight of all gasses above the surface in which it comes in contact. Under
normal conditions, atmospheric pressure at sea level is equal to 101.325 kPa (14.696 psi), usually
rounded off to 100 kPa (14.7 psi) by engineers. With increase in altitude, atmospheric pressure
decreases.

Gauge pressure, measured with the use of pressure gauges, is the pressure above or below atmospheric
pressure. Negative gauge pressure indicates a vacuum which cannot go below 101.325 kPa. Positive
gauge pressure indicates that the pressure is above atmospheric. Gauge pressure is also called relative
pressure.

Absolute pressure is equal to gauge pressure plus atmospheric pressure. There is no such thing as
negative absolute pressure. In the absence of all matter (complete vacuum), the absolute pressure is
zero.


Pressure Gauges
Just for the purpose of completeness of this page, pressure gauges (or pressure instruments) are listed
here. For more detailed discussion about pressure gauges, refer to the links in each type of pressure
instrument. Some general types of pressures instruments are as follows.
Barometer - used to measure atmospheric pressure. Wikipedia article.
Manometer - a U-tube that contains liquid of known specific gravity. Wikipedia article.
Bourdon gauge - used to measure large pressure difference. Integrated Publishing article.



Variation of Pressure with Depth in a Fluid
Consider two points 1 and 2 lie in the ends of fluid prism having a cross-sectional area dA and length L.
The difference in elevation between these two points is h as shown in Figure 02 below. The fluid is at
rest and its surface is free. The prism is therefore in equilibrium and all forces acting on it sums up to
zero.



Note: FFS stands for Free Fluid Surface which refers to fluid surface subject to zero gauge pressure.

The volume of the prism is equal to the length times the base area of the fluid.


The weight of the fluid prism shown is equal to the product of the unit weight and volume.



Sum up all the forces in x-direction





but L sin = h, thus

Therefore, in any homogeneous fluid at rest, the difference in pressure between any two points is equal
to the product of the unit weight of the fluid and the difference in elevation of the points.

If h = 0 so that points 1 and 2 are on the same horizontal plane, p
2
- p
1
= 0 or

Therefore, in any homogeneous fluid at rest, the pressures at all points along the same horizontal plane
are equal.

If point 1 lie on the FFS, the gauge pressure p
1
= 0, making p
2
- 0 = h or simply

This means that the pressure at any depth h below a continuous free fluid surface at rest is equal to the
product of the unit weight of fluid and the depth h.

Transmission of Pressure
We can write the equation p
2
- p
1
= h into the form

which means that any change in the pressure at point 1 would cause an equal change of pressure at
point 2. In other words, a pressure applied at any point in a liquid at rest is transmitted equally and
undiminished to every other point in the liquid.

Pressure Head
The equation p = h may be written into the form

where h or its equivalent p/ is in hydraulics called the pressure head. Pressure head is the height of
column of homogeneous fluid of unit weight that will produce an intensity of pressure p.

To convert pressure head of liquid A to equivalent pressure head of liquid B


To convert pressure head of any liquid to equivalent pressure head of water

where,
s = specific gravity
= unit weight
= density

Properties of Water
s = 1.0
= 9.81 kN/m
3
(or 62.4 lb/ft
3
in English system)
= 1000 kg/m
3
(or 1.94 slugs/ft
3
in English system)