Pressure in fluids and on surfaces
The same force can crush or barely register. The difference is the area it acts over.
Part of your national curriculum
- Physics: motion and forces: Understand pressure in fluids and atmospheric pressure, and pressure on surfaces
Lesson overview
What you'll learn in this lesson
Understand pressure in fluids and atmospheric pressure, and pressure on surfaces
Key learning points
- • Pressure on surfaces
- • Pressure in liquids
- • Atmospheric pressure
This lesson at a glance
- 28 minutes
- 17 parts to scroll through
- 3 quick checks
- Marked quiz at the end
- Gentle pace: short sittings with pauses
Words to know
Scroll down — the lesson carries on below
Watch & discover
Part 1 of 17
Visual introductionPicture this
Pressure in fluids and on surfaces
The same force can crush or barely register. The difference is the area it acts over.
In a nutshell
Understand pressure in fluids and atmospheric pressure, and pressure on surfaces
Learning cycle
Part 2 of 17
Learning cycle 1 of 2
Part 1 · Pressure on surfaces
A short piece of teaching, then a check to make sure it has landed.
Explore the idea
Part 3 of 17
Learn
Pressure on surfaces
Pressure = force ÷ area. A drawing pin works because a small force is concentrated on a tiny point; snowshoes work by spreading weight over a large area.
Reset break
Part 4 of 17
Pause
That's sitting 1 of 4 done
Stretch, get a drink, look out of the window. There is no timer and nothing is counting down — your place is saved, so you can come back in five minutes or tomorrow.
Explore the idea
Part 5 of 17
Learn
Pressure in liquids
Liquid pressure acts in all directions and increases with depth, because the weight of liquid above grows. That is why deep-sea animals face enormous pressure and dam walls are thicker at the bottom.
Quick check
Part 6 of 17
Quick check
Part 7 of 17
Reset break
Part 8 of 17
Pause
That's sitting 2 of 4 done
Stretch, get a drink, look out of the window. There is no timer and nothing is counting down — your place is saved, so you can come back in five minutes or tomorrow.
Learning cycle
Part 9 of 17
Learning cycle 2 of 2
Part 2 · Atmospheric pressure
A short piece of teaching, then a check to make sure it has landed.
Explore the idea
Part 10 of 17
Learn
Atmospheric pressure
Air has weight, so the atmosphere presses on everything at roughly 100,000 pascals at sea level. It falls with altitude, which is why aircraft cabins are pressurised.
Quick check
Part 11 of 17
Reset break
Part 12 of 17
Pause
That's sitting 3 of 4 done
Stretch, get a drink, look out of the window. There is no timer and nothing is counting down — your place is saved, so you can come back in five minutes or tomorrow.
Challenge round
Part 13 of 17
Game · Sort it
Which of these are true?
Drag each card into the right column. Tap a card first if dragging is fiddly.
True
Not true
Challenge round
Part 14 of 17
Game · Fill the gaps
Finish the sentences
Choose the word that belongs in each gap.
____ = force ÷ area.
Challenge round
Part 15 of 17
Game · Recall cards
A cheetah covers 120 m in 4 s. Its speed is…
Card 1 of 4
Mastery quiz
Part 16 of 17
Marked quiz
End of lesson quiz: Pressure in fluids and on surfaces
4 questions, marked with the reasoning shown. No timer.
1. A cheetah covers 120 m in 4 s. Its speed is…
2. A flat line on a distance–time graph means…
3. Reducing area with the same force…
4. Pressure is calculated as…
Lesson round-up
Part 17 of 17
Lesson round-up
Ready when you are
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Ask LunaPart 1 of 17 · Watch & discover
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Understand pressure in fluids and atmospheric pressure, and pressure on surfaces