Hydraulics

Multiplying force with liquid

An interactive lesson with 6 steps, about 5 minutes: you predict, drag and solve, with instant feedback on every answer. It runs in your browser and needs JavaScript.

What you’ll learn

• Pascal: pressure applied to a confined liquid spreads equally.
• Force ratio = area ratio: $F_2/F_1 = A_2/A_1$.
• Energy is conserved: the big piston moves less.

Steps

1. Pascal’s principle
2. A garage lift
3. Size the jack
4. The catch
5. Car brakes
6. A syringe