Question

Describe an experiment to show that the liquid exerts pressure at the bottom of the container in which it is kept.

Answer 1

Hint:For this experiment, we will use a glass tube and a balloon. We will tie the balloon at the lower end of the glass tube. After that, we will observe the changes in the balloon. If it bulges out, then there might be the pressure that has been exerted on it. If it remains the same, then there is no pressure acting on it. We will observe the changes to conclude our activity.

Complete step by step answer:
Given:
We will use a glass tube and a balloon for this experiment. Firstly, we will tie the balloon at the lower end of the glass tube. After that, we will hold the glass tube vertically, as shown in figure. Then, we will pour some water in this glass tube. We will observe that the balloon will bulge out, as shown in the figure below. This proves that the water column will exert a certain amount of pressure at its bottom as water has some weight. This force exerted on the balloon will be equal to the weight of the liquid. This force is known as thrust. From this activity, we can conclude that liquid exerts pressure at the bottom of the container.

Note:We know that all the liquids exert a certain amount of pressure on the base, bottom and on the walls of the container. The reason behind this pressure is the weight of the liquid. The pressure exerted depends on the depth of the liquid in the container. More is the depth of the liquid, more is the weight of the liquid and hence more is the pressure exerted.