2.1.7

Pressure

Test yourself

Pressure

Because of their different particle arrangements, solids, liquids and gases have different properties. Some cause pressure, others don’t.

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Pressure

  • Pressure means how much force is applied to something divided by the area it is applied over.
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Solids

  • Solids cannot cause pressure because their particles cannot move off their fixed positions.
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Liquids

  • Liquids can cause pressure sometimes. For example, when a water pipe bursts.
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Gases

  • Gas particles move quickly in all directions.
  • They do not travel far before they bump into each other or the walls of their container.
  • Each time a particle hits the wall of a container, it causes pressure.
  • The more often gas particles hit the walls of their container, the higher the pressure.
  • The harder gas particles hit the walls of their container, the higher the pressure.
  • If the pressure gets too high, the container will burst.
    • E.g. squashing a balloon raises the pressure and bursts it.

Jump to other topics

1Biology

1.1Cells, Tissues & Organs

1.2Reproduction & Variation

1.3Ecological Relationships & Classification

1.4Digestion & Nutrition

1.5Plants & Photosynthesis

1.6Biological Systems & Processes

2Chemistry

2.1Particles

2.2Chemical Reactions

2.3Atoms, Elements, Compounds

2.4The Periodic Table

2.5Materials & the Earth

2.6Reactivity

2.7Energetics

2.8Properties of Materials

3Physics

3.1Energy

3.2Forces & Motion

3.3Waves

3.4Electricity & Magnetism

3.5Matter

3.6Space Physics

4Thinking Scientifically

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