Under Pascal's Law, doubling the piston area with the same pressure results in what change to force?

Under Pascal's Law, doubling the piston area with the same pressure results in what change to force?

• A. Doubled
• B. Halved
• C. Unchanged
• D. Quadrupled

Answer: (A)

When pressure is kept the same, force is proportional to area because F = P × A. If you double the piston area while holding the pressure constant, the total force must double. The same pressure acting over twice the area gives twice the force—for example, at 100 psi, a piston with 2 in² area exerts 200 lbf; increasing the area to 4 in² yields 400 lbf. So the force doubles.

When pressure is kept the same, force is proportional to area because F = P × A. If you double the piston area while holding the pressure constant, the total force must double. The same pressure acting over twice the area gives twice the force—for example, at 100 psi, a piston with 2 in² area exerts 200 lbf; increasing the area to 4 in² yields 400 lbf. So the force doubles.