Pressure, Density & Upthrust Lab for GCSE and A Level Physics
Build a live fluid workstation. Measure density, hydrostatic pressure and apparent weight, investigate floating and displacement, and compare forces and travel in a hydraulic lift.
Learning guide and suggested activities
What this tool shows
Density from mass, dimensions and displaced volume
Average solid pressure and the effect of contact area
Gauge and absolute pressure, depth and ideal liquid layers
Live suspension tension, upthrust, floating, sinking and ballast
Archimedes’ principle through collected overflow and balance reactions
Hydraulic pressure, area ratios, finite piston travel and work
Captured readings, motion recording, graphs, replay and run comparison
OCR A relevance
3.2.4(a): Density and mass–volume relationships
3.2.4(b): Pressure and force per unit area
3.2.4(c): Hydrostatic pressure, upthrust and Archimedes’ principle
Practical skills: apparatus, readings and graph gradients; hydraulics is an extension
AQA relevance
GCSE Physics: density measurements and pressure in liquids; quantitative liquid pressure and floating/sinking are Higher Tier content
A-level mechanics: density, forces and equilibrium; fluid-pressure and hydraulic investigations provide extension applications
Try these tasks
Find an unknown solid’s density using a balance and displacement.
Plot gauge pressure against depth and use the gradient to estimate fluid density.
Compare settled meter readings during partial and full immersion.
Compare upthrust with the weight of collected overflow.
Load a sealed hollow box and predict its immersed fraction.