The laws of fluid mechanics are observable in many everyday situations. For example, the pressure exerted by water at the bottom of a pond will be the same as the pressure exerted by water at the bottom of a much narrower pipe, provided depth remains constant. If a longer pipe filled with water is tilted so that it reaches a maximum height of 15 m, its water will exert the same pressure as the other examples (left). Fluids can flow up as well as down in devices such as siphons (right). Hydrostatic force causes water in the siphon to flow up and over the edge until the bucket is empty or the suction is broken. A siphon is particularly useful for emptying containers that should not be tipped.
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