EDEXCEL IGCSE / CERTIFICATE IN PHYSICS 5-1

Density and Pressure

 Edexcel Specification
Section 5: Solids, liquids and gases
b) Density and pressure
know and use the relationship:
density = mass / volume ρ = m / V
describe experiments to determine density using direct measurements
of mass and volume
know and use the relationship:
pressure = force / area p = F / A
understand that the pressure at a point in a gas or liquid which is at
rest acts equally in all directions
know and use the relationship:
pressure difference = height × density × g p=h×ρ×g
Measuring the volume
of a regular solid

V=wxlxh
V = π x r2 x h
Measuring the volume of an irregular solid
Smaller solid Find the density of the stone
Measure the change in level Measure the volume of water
of the water in a measuring displaced. The string is
cylinder assumed to have no volume.
Measuring the volume of an irregular solid
Smaller solid
Measure the change in level
of the water in a measuring
cylinder

Find the density of the stone

Identify the stone by its density.
 Volume units
1 cubic metre (1 m3)
= 1m x 1m x 1m
= 100cm x 100cm x 100cm
= 1000 000cm3

1 m3 = 1000 000 cm3

NOTE: 1 cubic centimetre (cm3 OR ‘cc’) is also

the same as 1 millilitre (ml)
 Density (ρ)
density = mass
volume

ρ=m/V

mass, m is measured in kilograms (kg)

volume, V is measured in cubic metres (m3)
density, ρ is measured
in kilograms per cubic metres (kg/m3)
also:
mass = density x volume
m
and:
volume = density
volume ρ V
 Conversion between kg/m3 and g/cm3
A 1g mass of water has a volume of 1cm 3
but 1g = 0.001kg
and 1cm3 = 0.000 001 m3
Therefore: 1m3 of water will have a mass of
1000 000 x 1g = 1000kg

1000 kg/m3 is the same as 1 g/cm3

 Density examples
density density
(kg/m3) (kg/m3)
Interstellar space
10-25 to 10-15 iron 7 900
hydrogen 0.0989 lead 11 300
helium 0.179 mercury 13 500
air 1.29 uranium 19 100
wood (average) 700 gold 19 300
lithium 0.534 osmium 22 610
water 1000 Sun’s core 150 000
plastics 850 to 1400 neutron star 1017
aluminium 2 700 black hole > 4 x 1017
 Question 1
Calculate the density of a metal block of
volume 0.20 m3 and mass 600 kg.

density = mass
volume
= 600 kg / 0.20 m3
density of the metal = 3000 kg / m3
 Question 2
Calculate the mass of a block of wood of volume
0.050 m3 and density 600 kg/m3.

ρ=m/V
becomes:
m=ρxV
= 600 kg/m3 x 0.050 m3
mass of wood = 30 kg
 Question 3
Calculate the volume of a liquid of mass 45 kg and
density 900 kg/m3.

ρ=m/V
becomes:
V=m/ρ
= 45 kg ÷ 900 kg/m3
volume of liquid = 0.05 m3
 Question 4
When a small stone is immersed into the water
inside a measuring cylinder the level increases
from 20.0 to 27.5 ml. Calculate the density of the
stone in g/cm3 if its mass is 60g.

Volume of stone = (27.5 – 20.0) ml

= 7.5 cm3
ρ=m/V
= 60g / 7.5cm3
density of the stone = 8.0 g/cm3
 Question 5
Calculate the density in g/cm3 and kg/m3 of a metal
cylinder of radius 2cm, height 3cm and mass 400g.

Volume of a cylinder = π x r2 x h
= π x (2cm)2 x 3cm
= 3.142 x 4 x 3
= 37.7 cm3
ρ=m/V
= 400 g / 37.7 cm3
metal density = 10.6 g/cm3
= 10 600 kg/m3
 Question 6
Calculate the mass of a teaspoon full (1 cm3) of a neutron
star. Density of a neutron star = 1.0 x 1017 kg/m3.

1.0 cm3 = 0.000 0001 m3

ρ=m/V
becomes:
m=ρxV
= 1.0 x 1017 kg/m3 x 0.000 0001 m3
mass = 1.0 x 1011 kg

Note: 1 tonne = 1000 kg = 1.0 x 103 kg

Therefore mass = one hundred million tonnes!
 Question 7
Calculate the weight of a gold ingot of dimensions (20 x 10
x 4) cm. The density of gold is 19 300 kg/m3.

volume of gold = 800 cm3

= 0.0008 m3
mass = volume x density
= 0.0008 x 19 300 = 15.4 kg
weight = mass x gravitational field strength
= 15.4 x 10

weight of gold ingot = 154 N

 Answers
Complete:
density mass volume

6 g/cm 3 240 g 40 cm3

3000 kg/m3 4500 kg 1.5 m3
0.80 g/cm3 64 g 80 cm3

3 g/cm3 9 kg 0.003 m3
Choose appropriate words to fill in the gaps below:
Density is equal to ______
mass divided by _________
volume and can be
measured in kilograms per ______
cubic metres.

A density of _______kg/m
1000 3
is the same as a density of 1 g/cm3.
This is the density of ________.
water

The ________
density of a stone can be measured by immersing the
stone into water. The volume of water ________
displaced by the stone is
equal to the volume of the stone. The volume of the water
displaced is found using a _________
measuring cylinder.

WORD SELECTION:
cubic density mass water measuring
1000 displaced volume
Pressure, p
 Pressure, p
pressure = force
area

p=F
A
units:
force, F – newtons (N)
area, A – metres squared (m2)
pressure, p – pascals (Pa)
also:
force = pressure x area
F
and:
area = force
pressure p A

Note:
1 Pa is the same as 1 newton per square metre (N/m2)
 Question 1
Calculate the pressure exerted by a large
box of weight 200N with dimensions 2m x
2m x 2m. (Draw a picture).

p=F/A
= 200N / 4m2
pressure = 50 Pa
 Question 2
Calculate the force exerted by a gas of pressure
150 000 Pa on an object of surface area 3m 2.

p=F/A
becomes:
F=pxA
= 150 000 Pa x 3 m2
force = 450 000 N
 Question 3
Calculate the area that will experience a force of
6000N from a liquid exerting a pressure of 300kPa.

p=F/A
becomes:
A=F/p
= 6000 N ÷ 300 kPa
= 6000 N ÷ 300 000 Pa
area = 0.02 m2
 Complete:
force area pressure
40 N 8 m2 5 Pa
500 N 20 m2
20 25 Pa
400 N 5 m2 80 Pa
20 N 2 cm2 100 kPa
6N 2 mm2 3 MPa
 Pressure exerted by a block question
The metal block, shown opposite, has a
weight of 900 000N. Calculate the maximum
and minimum pressures it can exert when
placed on one of its surfaces.
2m

Maximum pressure occurs when the block is

placed on its smallest area surface (2m x 3m)
p=F/A
5m
= 900 000N / 6m2 3m
Maximum pressure = 150 000 Pa

Minimum pressure occurs when the block is

placed on its largest area surface (3m x 5m)
p=F/A
= 900 000N / 15m2
Minimum pressure = 60 000 Pa
 Pressure examples
pressure in Pa
or N/m2
Space (vacuum) 0
Air pressure at the top of Mount 30 000
Everest
Average pressure of the Earth’s 101 325
atmosphere at sea level at 0°C
Typical tyre pressure 180 000
Pressure 10m below the surface of 200 000
the sea
Estimated pressure at the depth 41 000 000
(3.8km) of the wreck of the Titanic
Pressure exerted by a person on a floor
1. Weigh the person in newtons. This
gives the downward force, F exerted
on the floor.
2. On paper draw the outline of the
person’s foot or shoe.
3. Use the outlines to calculate the
area of contact, A with the floor in
metres squared.
(Note: 1m2 = 10 000 cm2)
4. Calculate the pressure in pascals
using: p = F / A
 Typical results
1. Weight of person: _____
850 N
2. Outline area of
feet in cm2 ____ 260
3. Outline area of
feet in m2 _____0.026 260/10000

4. Pressure = ________
850 N
0.026 m2
= _______
32 700 Pa
 Why do off-road vehicles have
large tyres or tracks?

In both cases the area of contact with the ground is maximised.

This causes the pressure to be minimised as:
pressure = vehicle weight ÷ area
Lower pressure means that the vehicle does not sink into the
ground.
 How a gas exerts pressure
• A gas consists of molecules in
constant random motion.
• When a molecule collides with a
surface it reverses direction due to
the force exerted on it by the
surface.
• The molecule in turn exerts a force
back on the surface.
• The pressure exerted by the gas is
equal to the total force exerted by
the molecules on a particular area
of the surface divided by the area.
• pressure = force / area
Magdeburg hemispheres
Experiment
Task 3

Draw an A4 annotated diagram of a straw being used to drink a liquid

 Other pressure units
Note: You do not need to learn any of these for the IGCSE exam
Atmospheres (atm)
Often used to measure the pressure of a gas.
An atmosphere is the average pressure of the Earth’s
atmosphere at sea-level at a temperature of 0°C.
Standard atmospheric pressure = 101 325 Pa (about 101 kPa)
Bars and millibars (bar; mbar)
Also used to measure gas pressure.
One bar is about the same as one
atmosphere.

Millibars are often found on

weather charts.
1000 millibars = 1 bar = 100 kPa
Pounds per square inch (psi) Inches of mercury (inHg)
Often used to measure car tyre Often found on domestic barometers.
pressures. 1 inHg = 3386 Pa
1 psi = 6895 Pa 1 atm = 101 kPa = 29.9 inHg
1 atm = 101 kPa = 14.7 psi Examples:
Fair weather – high pressure: 30.5 inHg
Rain – low pressure: 29.0 inHg

tyre pressure gauge

Pressure in liquids and gases
The pressure in a
liquid or a gas at a
particular point
acts equally in all
directions.

At the same depth in the

liquid the pressure is the
same in all directions
 Why is it so? Explain the rule
• Imagine the reverse.
• If we had a different pressure to the left and
right what would happen to the water there?
• (Drawing a picture of forces might help)
The pressure in a
liquid or a gas
increases with
depth.

The pressure of the liquid

increases with depth
 Air Pressure
• What is causing atmospheric air pressure?
The weight of the air above you.
• Why is air pressure less in the high mountains?
There is less air above you because you are
closer to the edge of the atmosphere.
• What is the mass in 1 litre of air?
About 1 g
 For fluids - Pressure, height or depth
relationship
pressure difference = height × density × g

p=h×ρ×g

units:
height or depth, h – metres (m)
density, ρ pronounced (row) – kilograms per
metres cubed (kg/m3)
gravitational field strength, g
– newtons per kilogram (N/kg)
pressure difference, p – pascals (Pa)
 Question 1
Calculate the pressure increase at the
bottom of a swimming pool of depth 2m.
Density of water = 1000 kg/m3
g = 10 N/kg

pressure difference = h × ρ × g
= 2m x 1000 kg/m3 x 10 N/kg
pressure increase = 20 000 Pa
 Question 2
At sea level the (a) p = h × ρ × g
atmosphere has a
density of 1.3 kg/m3. becomes:
(a) Calculate the h = p / (ρ × g)
thickness (height) of = 100 kPa / (1.3 kg/m3 x 10 N/kg)
atmosphere required = 100 000 / (1.3 x 10)
to produce the = 100 000 / 13
average sea level
pressure of 100kPa. height = 7 692 m (7.7 km)

(b) Why is the actual (b) The real atmosphere’s density

height much greater? decreases with height.
The atmosphere extends to at
least a height of 100 km.
g = 10 N/kg
Choose appropriate words to fill in the gaps below:
Pressure is equal to _______
force divided by ______.
area

Pressure is measured in _______

pascal (Pa) where one pascal is the
same as one newton per ________
square metre.
The pressure of the Earth’s ___________
atmosphere at sea-level is
approximately 100 000 Pa.
Pressure increases with ______
depth below the surface of liquid.
Under _______
water the pressure increases by about one
atmosphere for every ______
ten metres of depth.

WORD SELECTION:
square depth force atmosphere
water area ten pascal