PRESSURE
Pressure Terminology
P=ρgh
There are three different kinds of pressure reported in the literature,
and it is important to know the terminology:
1.
Absolute pressure is measured relative to
absolute zero on the pressure scale, which is a perfect vacuum. (Absolute
pressure can never be negative.) Absolute pressure is indicated by P and is
identical to the familiar thermodynamic pressure.
2.
Gage pressure (sometimes written as "gauge
pressure") is measured relative to the local atmospheric pressure. Gage
pressure is thus zero when the pressure is the same as atmospheric pressure.
(It is possible to have negative gage pressure.) Gage pressure is indicated by
Pg and is related to absolute pressure as follows: Pg = P - Pa, where pa is the
local atmospheric pressure.
3.
Vacuum pressure is also measured relative
to the local atmospheric pressure, but is used when the gage pressure is
negative, i.e. when the absolute pressure falls below the local atmospheric
pressure. (Positive vacuum pressure means that the gage pressure is negative.)
Vacuum pressure is indicated by Pvacuum and is related to absolute pressure as
follows: Pvacuum = Pa - P, where pa is the local atmospheric pressure.
Ptotal=ρgh+Patm
EXAMPLE
1.
Pressure
acting in water at depth 1 m.
The density of water at 4oC is 1000 kg/m3. The pressure
acting in water at 1 m can
be calculated as
Solution:
p = ρ g h
= (1000 kg/m3) (9.81 m/s2) (1
m)
= 9810 Pa
2.
Pressure
acting in water at depth 3 ft. The density of water at 32oF is 1.940 slugs/ft3. The
pressure acting in water at 3
ft can be calculated as
Solution:
p = ρ g h
= (1.940 slugs/ft3) (32.17405 ft/s2) (3
ft)
= 187.3 lbf/ft2 (psf)
= 1.3 lbf/in2 (psi)