Teach Engineering: Measuring Pressure

Students learn first-hand the relationship between force, area and pressure. They use a force sensor built from a LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT kit to measure the force required to break through a paper napkin. An interchangeable top at the end of the force sensor enables testing of different-sized areas upon which to apply pressure. Measuring the force, and knowing the area, students compute the pressure. This leads to a concluding discussion on how these concepts are found and used in engineering and nature.