Chapter: Pressure
Section A: Multiple Choice Questions (1 mark each)
1. Pressure is defined as:
a) Force × Area
b) Force / Area
c) Area / Force
d) Force + Area
2. The SI unit of pressure is:
a) Newton
b) Pascal
c) Joule
d) Watt
3. Which of the following exerts the least pressure on the ground?
a) A sharp needle
b) A blunt knife
c) A brick
d) A wooden block
4. The pressure exerted by a liquid depends on:
a) Depth and density of the liquid
b) Volume of the liquid
c) Shape of the container
d) Temperature of the liquid
5. Atmospheric pressure is measured using:
a) Barometer
b) Thermometer
c) Hydrometer
d) Ammeter
6. The pressure at the bottom of a lake is greater than at the surface because:
a) The density of water increases with depth
b) The weight of water above increases with depth
c) The temperature decreases with depth
d) The volume of water increases with depth
7. Which of the following is NOT true about pressure?
a) Pressure increases with force
b) Pressure decreases with area
c) Pressure is a scalar quantity
d) Pressure is independent of the surface area
8. A force of 50 N acts on an area of 5 m². The pressure exerted is:
a) 10 Pa
b) 250 Pa
c) 55 Pa
d) 45 Pa
9. The pressure exerted by a liquid at a given depth is:
a) The same in all directions
b) Greater in the upward direction
c) Greater in the downward direction
d) Zero
10. The pressure in a fluid decreases with:
a) Increase in depth
b) Decrease in density
c) Increase in altitude
d) Decrease in temperature
11. The pressure exerted by the atmosphere at sea level is approximately:
a) 1013 Pa
b) 1013 kPa
c) 1013 MPa
d) 1013 GPa
12. A hydraulic lift works on the principle of:
a) Pascal’s Law
b) Archimedes’ Principle
c) Newton’s Law
d) Boyle’s Law
13. The pressure inside a liquid depends on:
a) The shape of the container
b) The volume of the liquid
c) The depth of the liquid
d) The temperature of the liquid
14. The pressure at a point in a liquid is proportional to:
a) The area of the surface
b) The density of the liquid
c) The volume of the liquid
d) The shape of the container
15. A sharp knife cuts better than a blunt knife because:
a) It exerts more pressure
b) It exerts less pressure
c) It has a larger surface area
d) It has a smaller surface area
16. The pressure exerted by a liquid column depends on:
a) The height of the column
b) The density of the liquid
c) The acceleration due to gravity
d) All of the above
17. The pressure at the bottom of a tank filled with water does NOT depend on:
a) The height of the water column
b) The density of water
c) The shape of the tank
d) The acceleration due to gravity
18. The pressure exerted by a liquid at the bottom of a container is:
a) Directly proportional to the height of the liquid column
b) Inversely proportional to the height of the liquid column
c) Independent of the height of the liquid column
d) None of the above
19. The pressure exerted by a liquid at a given depth is:
a) The same in all directions
b) Greater in the upward direction
c) Greater in the downward direction
d) Zero
20. The pressure exerted by a gas in a container is due to:
a) The collision of gas molecules with the walls of the container
b) The weight of the gas molecules
c) The volume of the gas
d) The temperature of the gas
Section B: Very Short Answer Type Questions (2 marks each)
21. Define pressure and write its SI unit.
22. Why do camels have broad feet?
23. State Pascal’s Law.
24. Why do mountaineers suffer from nose bleeding at high altitudes?
25. Explain why a sharp knife cuts better than a blunt knife.
26. What is atmospheric pressure?
Section C: Short Answer Type Questions (3 marks each)
27. Derive the formula for pressure exerted by a liquid column.
28. Explain why the walls of a dam are thicker at the bottom than at the top.
29. Describe an activity to show that liquids exert pressure.
30. How does a hydraulic lift work? Explain with a diagram.
31. Why do scuba divers wear special suits while diving deep into the sea?
32. Calculate the pressure exerted by a force of 200 N acting on an area of 10 m².
33. Explain why the tip of a needle is sharp.
Section D: Long Answer Type Questions (5 marks each)
34. Explain the factors on which the pressure exerted by a liquid depends. Derive the
formula for liquid pressure.
35. Describe an experiment to demonstrate that pressure in a liquid increases with depth.
36. Discuss the applications of pressure in daily life with suitable examples.
Section E: Case-Based Questions (4 marks each)
Case Study 1:
A student observed that when a sharp pin is pressed against a balloon, it bursts, but when a
blunt object is pressed, it does not.
37. Why does the balloon burst when a sharp pin is pressed against it? (2 marks)
38. What does this observation tell us about the relationship between pressure and area? (2
marks)
Case Study 2:
A hydraulic lift is used to lift heavy vehicles in a garage. It consists of two pistons connected by a
liquid-filled pipe.
39. Explain the working principle of a hydraulic lift. (2 marks)
40. If the area of the smaller piston is 2 m² and the force applied is 10 N, calculate the force
exerted by the larger piston if its area is 10 m². (2 marks)
Answers
Section A: Multiple Choice Questions
1. b) Force / Area
2. b) Pascal
3. d) A wooden block
4. a) Depth and density of the liquid
5. a) Barometer
6. b) The weight of water above increases with depth
7. d) Pressure is independent of the surface area
8. a) 10 Pa
9. a) The same in all directions
10. c) Increase in altitude
11. b) 1013 kPa
12. a) Pascal’s Law
13. c) The depth of the liquid
14. b) The density of the liquid
15. a) It exerts more pressure
16. d) All of the above
17. c) The shape of the tank
18. a) Directly proportional to the height of the liquid column
19. a) The same in all directions
20. a) The collision of gas molecules with the walls of the container
Section B: Very Short Answer Type Questions
21. Pressure is defined as the force acting per unit area. Its SI unit is Pascal (Pa).
22. Camels have broad feet to reduce the pressure exerted on the sand, preventing them
from sinking.
23. Pascal’s Law states that pressure applied to a confined fluid is transmitted equally in all
directions.
24. At high altitudes, atmospheric pressure is low, causing blood vessels to rupture due to
the pressure difference.
25. A sharp knife has a smaller surface area, exerting more pressure for the same force,
making it easier to cut.
26. Atmospheric pressure is the pressure exerted by the weight of the air in the atmosphere.
Section C: Short Answer Type Questions
27. The pressure exerted by a liquid column is given by:
= h \rho g ]
Where hh = height, ρρ = density, and gg = acceleration due to gravity.
28. The walls of a dam are thicker at the bottom because pressure increases with depth, and
thicker walls can withstand higher pressure.
29. Take a plastic bottle filled with water and make holes at different heights. Water will flow
out with different pressures, showing that liquids exert pressure.
30. A hydraulic lift works on Pascal’s Law. When force is applied to a smaller piston, it creates
pressure transmitted through the liquid to a larger piston, lifting heavy objects.
31. Scuba divers wear special suits to withstand the high pressure exerted by water at great
depths.
32. Pressure = Force / Area = 200 N / 10 m² = 20 Pa.
33. The tip of a needle is sharp to exert high pressure with minimal force, making it easier to
pierce materials.
Section D: Long Answer Type Questions
34. The pressure exerted by a liquid depends on:
Depth of the liquid
Density of the liquid
Acceleration due to gravity
Formula: P=hρgP=hρg
35. Take a tall container filled with water and attach pressure sensors at different depths.
Record the readings to show that pressure increases with depth.
36. Applications of pressure:
Hydraulic lifts
Syringes
Dams
Scuba diving suits
Section E: Case-Based Questions
37. The balloon bursts because the sharp pin exerts high pressure on a small area, causing
the balloon to rupture.
38. This observation shows that pressure is inversely proportional to the area of contact.
39. A hydraulic lift works on Pascal’s Law, transmitting pressure equally in all directions to lift
heavy objects.
40. Using Pascal’s Law:
frac{F_1}{A_1} = \frac{F_2}{A_2} ]
102=F210210=10F2F2=50 NF2=50N
