Pressure: past paper questions

Where the questions come from

• Question 15May/June 2026, paper 11Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  Two cylindrical vessels are joined together and filled with water as shown. How does the pressure at point X compare to the pressure at points Y and Z?

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• Question 5Oct/Nov 2025, paper 11Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  The diagram shows an athlete doing press-ups on a floor. The athlete is using both hands. The area of contact of each hand with the floor is $S$.

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• Question 12Oct/Nov 2023, paper 11Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  Two liquids, $\text{X}$ and $\text{Y}$, are poured into beakers of different sizes. Liquid $\text{X}$ has a density of $1000{\text{ kg/m}}^3$ and liquid $\text{Y}$ has a density of $900{\text{ kg/m}}^3$. On the base of which beaker is the pressure greatest?

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• Question 14May/June 2026, paper 12Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  The diagrams show rectangular blocks.

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• Question 10Oct/Nov 2025, paper 11Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  The pressure and volume of a sample of gas at constant temperature are measured and plotted on a graph. The pressure is decreased to 12.5 kPa. What is the new volume of this sample of gas?

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• Question 20Oct/Nov 2024, paper 11Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  The diagram shows an instrument that is used to measure the atmospheric pressure. The density of mercury is $1.4\times {10}^4{\text{ kg/m}}^3$. What is the atmospheric pressure?

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• Question 15May/June 2026, paper 12Multiple choice1 mark

  It is dangerous for divers rising to the surface in a lake when the pressure decreases by more than $180000\text{ Pa}$ in $1.0\text{ minute}$. The density of water is $1000\text{ kg}\mathrm{/}{\text{m}}^3$. The gravitational field strength $g$ is $9.8\text{ N}\mathrm{/}\text{kg}$.

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• Question 21Oct/Nov 2024, paper 11Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  Air at atmospheric pressure and room temperature is trapped in an insulated container by a frictionless piston of negligible weight. The air can be compressed by placing masses on top of the piston.

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• Question 14Oct/Nov 2023, paper 11Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  Some gas is trapped in a large syringe. The atmospheric pressure is $100\text{ kPa}$. The gas pressure is $200\text{ kPa}$ above atmospheric pressure.

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• Question 3May/June 2026, paper 21Structured10 marksHas a diagram

  A syringe containing air is connected to a pressure sensor in a school laboratory as shown in Figure 3.1. Figure 3.1 The pressure of the air in the syringe cylinder is $1.0\times {10}^5\text{ Pa}$. There is no friction between the plunger and the walls of the syringe cylinder.

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• Question 20Oct/Nov 2025, paper 12Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  Different liquids are poured into four different containers. In which container is the force exerted by the liquid on the bottom of the container the greatest?

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• Question 13Oct/Nov 2024, paper 12Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  Air at a pressure of 1.0 × 105 N/m2 is trapped in a container by a piston.

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• Question 1Oct/Nov 2023, paper 21Structured9 marksHas a diagram

  Fig. 1.1 shows a toy water rocket. The rocket is half-filled with water and connected by rubber tubing to a pump. Air is then pumped into the rocket so that the pressure of the air inside the rocket increases.

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• Question 12May/June 2025, paper 11Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  Four beakers contain the same liquid. At which point is the pressure the greatest?

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• Question 2Oct/Nov 2024, paper 22Structured5 marksHas a diagram

  A glass beaker of mass $m$ is at rest on a horizontal surface. The base of the beaker is a circle with a radius $r$. The beaker exerts a pressure on the horizontal surface.

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• Question 4Oct/Nov 2023, paper 22Structured10 marksHas a diagram

  Fig. 4.1 shows a long vertical tube, sealed at the base and open at the other end. The tube is $1.0\text{ m}$ long. The cross-sectional area of the tube is $4.0\times {10}^{-4}{\text{ m}}^2$.

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• Question 4Oct/Nov 2024, paper 22Structured9 marksHas a diagram

  Fig. 4.1 shows a large syringe that is sealed at the nozzle by wax. There is a piston inside the syringe. The pressure of the air inside the syringe is equal to atmospheric pressure, $1.0\times {10}^5\text{ Pa}$.

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• Question 13May/June 2023, paper 11Multiple choice1 mark

  An African elephant has a mass of $6000\text{ kg}$ and each of its four feet has an area of $0.20{\text{ m}}^2$. The gravitational field strength $g$ is $9.8\text{ N}\mathrm{/}\text{kg}$.

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• Question 12May/June 2025, paper 12Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  The pressure at a point beneath the surface of a liquid varies with the depth of the point and with the density of the liquid. Which changes both increase the pressure beneath the surface of a liquid?

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• Question 15May/June 2023, paper 12Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  In an experiment, the volume of a gas in a cylinder is measured as the pressure of the gas is increased. The values obtained are shown.

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• Question 2May/June 2024, paper 22Structured11 marksHas a diagram

  Fig. 2.1 shows a small swimming pool containing water. The depth of water in the pool is $0.80\text{ m}$. The density of water is $1000\text{ kg}\mathrm{/}{\text{m}}^3$.

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• Question 4May/June 2023, paper 21Structured8 marksHas a diagram

  A student pushes a drawing pin into a wooden board, as shown in Fig. 4.1.

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• Question 3May/June 2023, paper 22Structured9 marksHas a diagram

  A fixed mass of gas in a glass tube is trapped by a seal at one end of the tube and by a column of mercury. The mercury is free to move within the tube. The tube is rotated slowly from the vertical as shown in Fig. 3.1 to the horizontal as shown in Fig. 3.2.

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