1. What is Water Pressure?

Water pressure is the force exerted by water per unit area at any given point below the water's surface. It increases with depth due to the weight of the water above.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the hydrostatic pressure equation:

Where:

• \( P \) — Total pressure (Pascals)
• \( \rho \) — Fluid density (kg/m³)
• \( g \) — Acceleration due to gravity (m/s²)
• \( h \) — Height/depth of fluid column (m)
• \( P_{atm} \) — Atmospheric pressure (Pa)

Explanation: The equation calculates the pressure at a certain depth in a fluid, accounting for both the fluid's weight and atmospheric pressure.

3. Importance of Pressure Calculation

Details: Understanding water pressure is crucial for designing dams, submarines, water supply systems, and understanding blood pressure in medical contexts.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter fluid density (1000 kg/m³ for pure water), gravity (9.81 m/s² on Earth), depth/height, and atmospheric pressure (101325 Pa at sea level).

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: Why does pressure increase with depth?
A: Pressure increases because the weight of the fluid above increases with depth, exerting more force per unit area.

Q2: What's the difference between absolute and gauge pressure?
A: Absolute pressure includes atmospheric pressure, while gauge pressure measures pressure relative to atmospheric pressure.

Q3: How does salt water differ from fresh water?
A: Salt water is denser (about 1025 kg/m³ vs 1000 kg/m³), so pressure increases slightly faster with depth in salt water.

Q4: Does container shape affect pressure?
A: No, hydrostatic pressure depends only on depth and fluid density, not container shape or total volume.

Q5: What are typical water pressure units?
A: Pascals (Pa) are standard, but bars (1 bar = 100,000 Pa), psi (pounds per square inch), or meters/feet of water column are also used.