Edexcel GCSE Physics · 1PH0
Specification 14.20P · Paper 2
Revise: Work on a GasWhen you push down the handle of a bicycle pump, your force moves a piston, so you do mechanical work.
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GCSE Physics · key term
A sliding component that changes the volume of an enclosed gas when it moves inside a cylinder.
Used by Edexcel and OCR
Specification 14.20P · Paper 2
Revise: Work on a GasWhen you push down the handle of a bicycle pump, your force moves a piston, so you do mechanical work.
Specification P2.3o · Paper 1 (Foundation), Paper 3 (Higher)
A movable, closely fitting part that pushes on fluid inside a cylinder or is pushed by it.
A simple hydraulic system has two closely fitting, movable connected by a tube filled with liquid. Push down on the input piston and it increases the liquid's pressure. The liquid transmits this in pressure to the output piston, where it produces an upward force.
Apply the explanation specifically to the bicycle pump: the moving handle drives a piston that compresses the trapped air.
In a hydraulic system, equal pressure does not mean equal force: the wider piston has a larger area.
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