Manometers

A Manometer is a device to measure pressures. A common simple

manometer consists of a U shaped tube of glass filled with some
liquid. Typically the liquid is mercury because of its high density.

Case 1
In the figure to the right we show such a U
shaped tube filled with a liquid. Note that
both ends of the tube are open to the
atmosphere. Thus both points A and B are at
atmospheric pressure. The two points also
have the same vertical height.

Case 2
Now the top of the tube on the left has been
closed. We imagine that there is a sample of
gas in the closed end of the tube.

The right side of the tube remains open to

the atmosphere. The point A, then, is at
atmospheric pressure.

The point C is at the pressure of the gas in

the closed end of the tube.

The point B has a pressure greater than

atmospheric pressure due to the weight of
the column of liquid of height h.

The point C is at the same height as B, so it

has the same pressure as B. And we have
already seen that this is equal to the
pressure of the gas in the closed end of the
tube.

Thus, in this case the pressure of the gas

that is trapped in the closed end of the tube
is greater than atmospheric pressure by
the amount of pressure exerted by the
column of liquid of height h.

Case 3
Now we show another possible arrangement
of the manometer with the top of the left
side of the tube closed. Perhaps the closed
end of the tube contains a sample of gas as
before, or perhaps it contains a vacuum.

The point A is at atmospheric pressure.

The point C is at whatever pressure the gas

in the closed end of the tube has, or if the
closed end contains a vacuum the pressure
is zero.

Since the point B is at the same height as

point A, it must be at atmospheric pressure
too. But the pressure at B is also the sum of
the pressure at C plus the pressure exerted
by the weight of the column of liquid of
height h in the tube.

We conclude that pressure at C, then, is

less than atmospheric pressure by the
amount of pressure exerted by the column
of liquid of height h.

If the closed end of the tube contains a

vacuum, then the pressure at point C is
zero, and atmospheric pressure is equal to
the pressure exerted by the weight of the
column of liquid of height h. In this case, the
manometer can be used as a barometer to
measure atmospheric pressure.
We conclude with a discussion of the units for pressure
measurements. Recall that pressure is defined as the force per area.
The SI unit for pressure is the pascal, which is one newton per
square meter.

For example, atmospheric pressure varies with the weather and is

usually about 100 kilopascals. Another common unit for measuring
atmospheric pressure is mm of mercury, whose value is usually
about 760 mm. Put another way, if the closed end of the tube in
Case 3 above contains a vacuum, the height h is about 760 mm.

In many situations, measuring pressures in units of length of the

liquid in the manometer is perfectly adequate. The remainder of this
document discusses how to convert from those units to pascals.

The figure to the right shows a cylinder of

liquid of height h and area A.

The weight of the cylinder is its mass m

times the acceleration due to gravity g.
This is the force exerted by the cylinder
of liquid on whatever is just below it:

F=mg

The pressure p is this force divided by the

area A of the face of the cylinder.

p = F/A

The mass of the cylinder is the density of

the liquid times the volume V.

m= V

The volume is the area A of the face of

the cylinder times its height h.

V=Ah

So, the pressure p is:

p =F/A
 = mg / A
= Vg/A
= Ah g /
A
= hg

Thus, if , h and g are measured in SI units, the pressure p will be

in pascals. Note that the value is independent of the area of the
cylinder.