Pascal's Law
Force applied on the surface of a liquid in a container is transmitted equally in all directions without any loss. This can be demonstrated with the help of a simple activity.
Take a perforated vessel full of water. Close it with a piston and now apply force on the piston. The pressure applied on the piston will cause the water to come out of all the holes equally.
Demonstration of Pascal's Law
This phenomenon is called Pascal's law, and it is stated as
Pressure applied at any point of a liquid enclosed in a container is transmitted without loss to all other parts of the liquid.
Applications of Pascal's law
Pascal's law has a great deal in mechanics and to work with hydraulics. There are several applications of Pascal's law which has made our lives much more accessible. Hydraulics is the branch of physics that deals with the mechanics of fluid pressure.
(1) Hydraulic Press
A hydraulic press is a machine that works on Pascal's law. It is used to compress heavier objects with remarkably less effort. It has two different-sized cylinders with pistons. The entity which is to be compressed is placed over the larger area. A little force applied on the piston of the smaller cylinder is transmitted as equal pressure to the larger cylinder, and its piston rises, lifting along the heavy object placed over it. This is explained with the help of the formula F2 = F1 (A/a). Since the ratio A/a is always greater than 1, F2 is always greater than F1. This assembly is also called Force Multiplier as force is increased manifold.
Hydraulic Press System
(2) Braking System in Vehicles
To apply brakes on the vehicle, hydraulic fluid is used. There is one master cylinder, four cylinders of wheels, and a network of fluid pressure pipes. The Master cylinder has one piston connected to the pedal, and wheel cylinders have two pistons. When we push the brake pedal, the piston in the master cylinder forces the brake fluid through a linkage, and it results in a pressure increase that gets transmitted to all the pipes and all the wheel cylinders. Because of this pressure, both the pistons move out and share the braking force on all the wheels.
Braking System in Vehicles
(3) Hydraulic Pump
Hydraulic pumps also work on Pascal's law. It has two fluid-filled cylinders of different sizes. An introduction of compressed air on a smaller cylinder exerts pressure on the oil surface. This pressure is transmitted to the larger cylinder, producing a more significant force to lift a car.
Hydraulic Pump
(4) Aircraft Hydraulic System
Hydraulic power system helps in slowing down of airplanes on runways but also help in the management of the flaps, landing gear, and flight control surfaces. An aircraft hydraulic system has three main mechanical components and a hydraulic liquid—even a small amount of hydraulic fluid aids in transmitting a large force. The hydraulic fluid in contact with the cylinder or /pistons is at different pressure. The oil which has comparatively higher pressure can be pumped to either side of the piston head. The selector valve is used for controlling the fluid direction.
Aircraft Hydraulic System
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