Did you ever see one of those hydraulic jacks that a backyard mechanic might use to lift up the corner of a car. He rolls the thing under the car, pumps up and down a long handle and the car not-so-magically begins to levitate. How do you suppose this thing might work (think Pascal's principle)?
http://www.ritchiewiki.com/wiki/index.php/hydraulics
Yes, I am familiar with hydraulic jacks! They work based on a principle called Pascal's principle. Pascal's principle states that when you apply pressure to a confined fluid (such as a liquid), that pressure is transmitted equally in all directions.
Now, let's see how a hydraulic jack works using Pascal's principle:
1. Inside the hydraulic jack, there are two connected cylinders – a smaller one called the "plunger" and a larger one called the "reservoir."
2. The plunger has a small cross-sectional area, while the reservoir has a larger cross-sectional area.
3. The plunger is connected to a long handle that you mentioned.
4. The hydraulic jack is placed under the car, with the plunger directly below the point where the car needs to be lifted.
5. The reservoir of the jack is filled with a hydraulic fluid, usually oil.
6. When the mechanic pumps the handle up and down, it moves the plunger, which creates pressure on the hydraulic fluid in the system.
7. According to Pascal's principle, this pressure is transmitted equally to all parts of the fluid.
8. As a result, the increased pressure on the hydraulic fluid in the plunger causes an equal pressure increase in the reservoir.
9. Since the reservoir has a larger cross-sectional area, the increased pressure leads to a greater upward force on the larger surface area, effectively lifting the car.
10. By pumping the handle repeatedly, the mechanic can increase the pressure and lift the car to the desired height.
In essence, the hydraulic jack magnifies the force applied to the handle by using Pascal's principle to generate a larger force to lift the car.