In physics, the term total pressure may indicate two different quantities, both having the dimensions of a pressure:
In fluid dynamics, total pressure (
p
0
) refers to the sum of static pressure p, dynamic pressure q, and gravitational head, as expressed by Bernoulli's principle:
p
0
=
p
+
q
+
ρ
g
z
where ρ is the density of the fluid, g is the local acceleration due to gravity, and z is the height above a datum.
If the variation in height above the datum is zero, or so small it can be ignored, the above equation reduces to the following simplified form:
p
0
=
p
+
q
In a mixture of ideal gases, total pressure refers to the sum of each gas' partial pressure.
