Science Common Sense
218 - What is pressure, and how is it measured?
Imagine you're swimming underwater. The deeper you go, the harder it is to move because of the weight of the water above you. This is an example of pressure.
Pressure is the force exerted on a surface or object by the weight of something (like water or air) pressing down on it.
We measure pressure using a device called a barometer or a pressure gauge. There are different types of pressure, such as:
- Atmospheric pressure (the pressure of the air around us)
- Water pressure (the pressure of water in a pool, ocean, or pipe)
- Blood pressure (the pressure of blood in our veins)
The unit used to measure pressure is called a unit of force per area, such as pounds per square inch (PSI) or pascals (Pa).