Practice question · Multiple choice
Pressure in a fluid depends on depth but not on the shape or volume of the container. Why does a narrow tube exert the same pressure as a wide tank at equal depth?
Hints
- Ask what the fluid directly above a point actually weighs on it.
- The hydrostatic paradox is worth picturing here.
Show the answer
C. Because pressure depends only on the height of the column
Why
Only the column height enters . This is why a thin tube of water can burst a barrel, and why hydraulic systems multiply force the way they do.
Practise Fluid Statics: Pressure and Buoyancy
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