Explain why

Hydrostatic pressure is a scalar quantity even though pressure is force divided by area.

Pascal's law states that pressure exerted anywhere on a confined incompressible fluid is transmitted equally and undiminished throughout the entire fluid. So when force is applied on a liquid, pressure is transmitted in all directions. A vector has only one direction but hydrostatic pressure does not have a specific direction . So it is considered a scalar quantity.



Figure showing the pictorial representation of Pascal's law


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