What term means the weight of water pressing on a surface?

What term means the weight of water pressing on a surface?

• A. Water pressure
• B. Buoyancy
• C. Surface tension
• D. Viscosity

Answer: (A)

Water pressure is the force per unit area that water exerts on a surface. This pressure comes from the weight of the water above the surface, so the deeper you go, the greater the pressure because there’s more water pressing down. In fluids at rest, the relationship is often written as P = ρ g h, meaning pressure increases with depth (h) given density (ρ) and gravity (g). At the surface you also have atmospheric pressure, and the water adds to that. This term fits the description exactly: it describes the weight of water pressing on a surface. The other concepts describe different ideas—buoyancy is the net upward force on an object in a fluid due to displaced water, surface tension is the cohesive force at a liquid’s surface, and viscosity is the internal friction within the fluid.

Water pressure is the force per unit area that water exerts on a surface. This pressure comes from the weight of the water above the surface, so the deeper you go, the greater the pressure because there’s more water pressing down. In fluids at rest, the relationship is often written as P = ρ g h, meaning pressure increases with depth (h) given density (ρ) and gravity (g). At the surface you also have atmospheric pressure, and the water adds to that.

This term fits the description exactly: it describes the weight of water pressing on a surface. The other concepts describe different ideas—buoyancy is the net upward force on an object in a fluid due to displaced water, surface tension is the cohesive force at a liquid’s surface, and viscosity is the internal friction within the fluid.