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SESK: Stuff Everyone Should Know · sesk.info/eng-hydrostatic-pressure-depth

For a constant-density liquid, how does pressure change with depth h?

The pressure increase is rho g h.

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  1. It falls by rho g h
  2. It rises by rho g h ✔
  3. It rises by rho h divided by g

Why: A deeper point supports more fluid above it. For constant density rho, pressure is p0 + rho g h, so container shape does not enter the result.

Huh, didn't know that: This constant-density approximation works well for liquids but can fail across large changes in atmospheric height.

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References

Answer: It rises by rho g h. A deeper point supports more fluid above it. For constant density rho, pressure is p0 + rho g h, so container shape does not enter the result.

  1. OpenStax University Physics Volume 1, Fluids, Density, and Pressure openstax.org/books/university-physics-volume-1/pages/14-1-fluids-density-and-pressure
    pressure at a depth of fluid on the surface of Earth is equal to the atmospheric pressure plus rho gh
    Checked 2026-10-10.

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