Pressure is equal to force divided by _____.

Pressure is equal to force divided by _____.

• A. Weight
• B. Liquid
• C. Gas
• D. Area

Answer: (D)

Pressure is the force spread over an area. The value is found by dividing the force by the area over which it is applied, so the denominator in the formula is the area. If you push with the same force on a tiny contact area, the force is concentrated into a small spot, making pressure high. If the same push is spread over a larger area, the pressure drops. This is why hydraulic systems use different piston sizes: the same pressure acting on a large area can produce a larger output force. Weight, being a type of force, isn’t the thing you divide by here, and liquids or gases aren’t the divisor themselves—what matters is the area over which the force acts.

Pressure is the force spread over an area. The value is found by dividing the force by the area over which it is applied, so the denominator in the formula is the area.

If you push with the same force on a tiny contact area, the force is concentrated into a small spot, making pressure high. If the same push is spread over a larger area, the pressure drops. This is why hydraulic systems use different piston sizes: the same pressure acting on a large area can produce a larger output force.

Weight, being a type of force, isn’t the thing you divide by here, and liquids or gases aren’t the divisor themselves—what matters is the area over which the force acts.