How can I calculate underwater pressure quickly

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    Pressure Underwater
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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around calculating underwater pressure, focusing on the hydrostatic pressure formula and its applications. Participants explore various formulas, approximations, and conversions related to pressure in fluids, particularly in the context of water.

Discussion Character

  • Technical explanation
  • Mathematical reasoning
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants propose the hydrostatic pressure formula ##\rho g h## as a standard method for calculating underwater pressure.
  • Others mention that the formula can be simplified to state that there is an increase of 1 atmospheric pressure for every 10 meters of water depth.
  • A participant shares a specific calculation using the formula, providing values for fluid density, acceleration due to gravity, and height of fluid, resulting in a pressure in pascals.
  • There are inquiries about the conversion from pascals to bars, with some participants providing the conversion rate.
  • Some participants note that while approximations are useful, exact calculations can be performed using the hydrostatic pressure formula, considering variations in density and gravity.
  • There is a mention of the initial atmospheric pressure at sea level, which should be included in calculations for certain applications, such as submarines.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree on the use of the hydrostatic pressure formula and the approximation of pressure increase per depth. However, there are differing views on the necessity of considering variations in density and gravity, as well as the inclusion of initial atmospheric pressure in certain contexts.

Contextual Notes

Some discussions touch on the limitations of approximations and the need for precise values in specific scenarios, but these aspects remain unresolved.

Who May Find This Useful

This discussion may be useful for individuals interested in fluid mechanics, underwater pressure calculations, and related mathematical applications in physics and engineering.

Charlie Kay
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Does anyone know a simple formula to calculate underwater pressure?
 
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I have the formula "P=r*g*h" when r=fluid density, g=Acceleration of gravity and h=height of fluid.

Got this off NASA
 
Charlie Kay said:
I have the formula "P=r*g*h" when r=fluid density, g=Acceleration of gravity and h=height of fluid.
Same thing. (##\rho## is the common symbol for density.)
 
The simplest way you can get is 1 extra atmospheric pressure per 10 metres of water column.
 
Brilliant, that's just what I was looking for! :-)
 
How much Is normal atmospheric pressure?
 
1 atm or very close to 1 bar, or very close to 100 000 Pascals.

In the spirit of the forum I'd encourage you to take the earlier-posted equations and plug in the numbers for 10 metres of water, and see if it really comes down to 100 000 Pascals. You need density of water in kg/m^3.
 
Charlie Kay said:
Brilliant, that's just what I was looking for! :-)

Of course Bandersnatch's answer is an approximation - but quite good enough for all practical purposes. It would be a good exercise to calculate exactly what the pressure increase from ten meters of water is using the ##\rho{g}h## formula - google will find the values of the various physical constants you'll need - and see just how good of an approximation it is, whether it is sensitive to small changes in the temperature of the water.
 
  • #10
Thanks:-)
 
  • #11
Just wandering if there are any other formulas for it?!
 
  • #12
Charlie Kay said:
Just wandering if there are any other formulas for it?!

##\rho{g}h## is pretty much the gold standard here. You can make additional corrections if ##\rho## or ##g## aren't constant, but for any problem involving reasonable liquids on or around the surface of the earth, these are just rounding errors.
 
  • #13
Hey guys I've collected some information and I can now calculate "P=r*g*h" It is:

999.99 X 9.81 X 11000 = 107 908 920.9
Fluid Density X Acceleration Due To Gravity X Height Of Fluid = Pressure

But this is it pascal, does anyone know the conversion rate from pascal to bar?
 
  • #14
Charlie Kay said:
But this is it pascal, does anyone know the conversion rate from pascal to bar?
1 bar = 100,000 Pa.
 
  • #15
While we appreciate the traffic, Google will answer these questions in milliseconds...
 
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  • #16
And don't forget what 'snatch said: "1 extra atmospheric pressure per 10 metres".
People often forget there's an initial 1 atm at sea level.
 
  • #17
DaveC426913 said:
And don't forget what 'snatch said: "1 extra atmospheric pressure per 10 metres".
People often forget there's an initial 1 atm at sea level.
That often falls out of the analysis (for example, for a submarine), but yes, that thought should at least be processed at the start of the analysis.
 
  • #18
russ_watters said:
While we appreciate the traffic, Google will answer these questions in milliseconds...

But it's not as friendly and it doest'n give you a straight answer
 
  • #19
Charlie Kay said:
But it's not as friendly and it doest'n give you a straight answer
It certainly has its limitations, but it is a life-skill everyone should have.
 

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