Lesson 1 of 8
Pressure on surfaces
Goal: Calculate pressure from force and area.
Pressure tells you how much force presses on each square metre of a surface.
Pressure = force ÷ areaForce in newtons (N). Area in square metres (m²). Pressure in newtons per square metre (N/m²).
- A small area gives a big pressure. The point of a drawing pin is tiny, so a gentle push makes enough pressure to go into a board.
- A big area gives a small pressure. Snowshoes spread your weight, so you do not sink into the snow.
- Small areas are measured in cm². Then the pressure is in N/cm².
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Key words in this lesson
Pressure The force on each unit of area
Area The size of a surface, in m² or cm²