Manometer Calculator

What Is a Manometer?

A manometer measures fluid pressure by balancing it against a liquid column. A U-tube manometer connects a pressurized vessel to a glass tube filled with a dense liquid such as mercury or water. The height difference between the two liquid surfaces reveals the gauge pressure at the connection point.

Manometer Pressure Formula

Hydrostatic pressure from a fluid column is:

Here \(\rho\) is fluid density, \(g\) is gravitational acceleration, and \(h\) is the vertical height difference of the liquid column. For an inclined manometer, the measured length along the tube is converted to vertical height using \(h_v = L \sin(\theta)\), where \(\theta\) is the inclination angle.

U-Tube vs Inclined Manometers

U-tube manometers are simple and accurate for moderate pressure differences. Inclined manometers stretch the scale along a shallow angle, making small pressure changes easier to read. Both rely on Pascal's principle: pressure applied to a confined fluid is transmitted equally throughout the fluid.

Related tools: Fluid Pressure Calculator, Pipe Hydrostatic Calculator, and Ideal Gas Pressure Calculator.