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I understand hydrostatic pressure to arise from the weight of the column of water above. Assuming this is true, then why does the pressure act in all directions? It doesn't make intuitive sense to me.

Qmechanic
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Jeremy Clarkson
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    Duplicate of a duplicate of a.... https://physics.stackexchange.com/search?q=pressure+all+directions – kricheli Apr 25 '23 at 10:41
  • Possible duplicates: https://physics.stackexchange.com/q/276272/2451 , https://physics.stackexchange.com/q/593609/2451 and links therein. – Qmechanic Apr 25 '23 at 11:49
  • Pressure always acts perpendicular to any differential area that it encounters. – David White Apr 25 '23 at 14:56

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To help understand the isotropy of pressure, one can imagine a container full of balls pressed against each other without order.

If you press on the upper part of the container, you can clearly imagine that the stresses between the balls will be distributed in all directions and will also press against the horizontal walls.

If the balls were regularly ordered one above the other, this isotropy would disappear.

Vincent Fraticelli
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