Pressure in Solids and Fluids

Lab Brief #9

🎯 Your mission

Run the experiment. Find out what really happens.

⚡ The twist

Speed isn't the same as force. Don't mix them up.

What you'll learn

Pressure is force per unit area, in pascals. Spreading a force over a larger area lowers the pressure, which is why snowshoes work and a drawing pin does not. In a fluid, pressure also increases with depth as p = ρgh.

Key words

pressure
Force per unit area, measured in pascals (N/m²).
pascal
The SI unit of pressure, equal to one newton per square metre.

Make a hypothesis first

Guess: where does the energy go?

Say your guess out loud — then find out if you were right.

Get ready

🧰 What you need

rectangular block
tray of damp sand
ruler
newton meter

⚠️ Safety first

Wash hands after handling sand and keep it out of eyes.

Step 1 of 4 · Read

Think about what you just learned: say what "pressure" and "pascal" mean in your own words before you start.

Step 2 of 4 · Do

Press a block onto damp sand on its largest face, then its smallest, using the same downward push. Measure both indentation depths and both contact areas, and relate the results to p = F/A.

Step 3 of 4 · Observe

Record what actually happened, including anything that did not match what you expected.

Step 4 of 4 · Record

Write a conclusion that answers the question this lesson opened with, and state your uncertainty.

Question 1 of 2

A force of 60 N acts on 0.02 m². The pressure is:

How sure are you?😐 maybe

Question 2 of 2

Snowshoes stop you sinking because they:

How sure are you?😐 maybe

Mind = blown

⚡ Static electricity is the same physics as lightning, just smaller.

Nice work!

You got 0 of 2 right.

Next: Upthrust and Floating All lessons

🎯

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✨ More to explore

🌍 Where you see this in real life: You use this every time you flip a light switch, ride a bike, or kick a ball.

🏆 Stretch challenge (try it this week): Time how long a small ball rolls down something, then change the slope and try again.

👨‍👩‍👧 For the dinner table: “Show me something at home that uses this kind of energy.”

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Pressure in Solids and Fluids

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