What does Pascal's Law state about pressure in an enclosed fluid?

What does Pascal's Law state about pressure in an enclosed fluid?

• A. Pressure is transmitted equally in all directions
• B. Pressure increases with velocity
• C. Pressure decreases with depth
• D. Pressure is always greatest at the bottom

Answer: (A)

Pressure in an enclosed fluid is transmitted equally in all directions. When you apply a push to a confined, incompressible fluid, that pressure increase spreads throughout the entire fluid and to the container walls with the same magnitude in every direction. This uniform transmission is what makes hydraulic systems possible: a small force on a small-area piston creates the same pressure everywhere, so a larger-area piston can pick up a larger force (F = P × A). The other ideas mix in different concepts. Dynamic pressure relates to velocity, not the equal transmission described here. Hydrostatic pressure that increases with depth is due to the weight of the fluid in a gravitational field, a separate effect from the way applied pressure is transmitted through a confined fluid.

Pressure in an enclosed fluid is transmitted equally in all directions. When you apply a push to a confined, incompressible fluid, that pressure increase spreads throughout the entire fluid and to the container walls with the same magnitude in every direction. This uniform transmission is what makes hydraulic systems possible: a small force on a small-area piston creates the same pressure everywhere, so a larger-area piston can pick up a larger force (F = P × A).

The other ideas mix in different concepts. Dynamic pressure relates to velocity, not the equal transmission described here. Hydrostatic pressure that increases with depth is due to the weight of the fluid in a gravitational field, a separate effect from the way applied pressure is transmitted through a confined fluid.