The hydraulic press sim
Pressure = force ÷ area.
The hydraulic press · covers the GCSE, IGCSE, O-Level topic
What the sim shows
Pressure = force ÷ area. Pressure on an enclosed liquid is passed on equally to all of it, so the pressure under the large piston is the same as under the small one. The large piston's radius is 3 times the small one's, so its area is 9 times as big, and it holds up 9 times the force: 22.2 N on the plunger holds up a 20 kg (200 N) load. Oil cannot be squashed, so the oil pushed out of the narrow cylinder moves into the wide one: push down 9 cm and the load rises 1 cm. Work in (F1 × d1) = work out (F2 × d2): the press multiplies force, not energy. Pistons are taken as frictionless and the small pressure from the oil's own height is left out. Taking g = 10 N/kg.
- The push on the plunger
- Right: the working
Use it in your lessons
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