Definition of pressure:

Pressure (symbol: p or P) is the force applied perpendicular to the surface of an object per
unit area over which that force is distributed. Gauge pressure (also spelled gage pressure), is
the pressure relative to the ambient pressure. Pressure is defined as the force per area
Force = pressure * area
or

Atmospheric Pressure
Atmospheric pressure sometimes also called barometric pressure is the pressure within the
atmosphere of Earth. The atm unit is roughly equivalent to the mean sea-level atmospheric
pressure on Earth, that is, the Earth's atmospheric pressure at sea level is approximately 1 atm.

Pressure on Earth varies with the altitude of the surface; so, air pressure on mountains is usually
lower than air pressure at sea level. Pressure varies smoothly from the Earth's surface to the top
of the mesosphere. Although the pressure changes with the weather, NASA has averaged the
conditions for all parts of the earth year-round. As altitude increases, atmospheric pressure
decreases. One can calculate the atmospheric pressure at a given altitude. Temperature and
humidity also affect the atmospheric pressure, and it is necessary to know these to compute an
accurate figure. The graph at right was developed for a temperature of 15 °C and a relative
humidity of 0%.
Types of Pressure
 Atmospheric pressure
As altitude increases, atmospheric pressure decreases. On average, with every 1,000 feet of
increase in altitude, the atmospheric pressure decreases 1 “Hg. As pressure decreases, the air
becomes less dense or thinner. This is the equivalent of being at a higher altitude and is
referred to as density altitude. As pressure decreases, density altitude increases and has a
pronounced effect on aircraft performance.

 Absolute Pressure
Pressure measured with reference to a vacuum or zero pressure. Absolute pressure is
measured relative to a full vacuum. In contrast, pressure that is measured against atmospheric
pressure
  Gauge Pressure
Gauge pressure is zero-referenced against ambient air pressure, so it is equal to absolute
pressure minus atmospheric pressure. Negative signs are usually omitted.

 Differential Pressure
Differential pressure is a pressure that is measured relative to the pressure in the atmosphere
around it.

 Dynamic Pressure
Dynamic pressure (sometimes called velocity pressure) is the increase in a moving fluid's
pressure over its static value due to motion. In incompressible fluid dynamics, it is
indicated as , or Q, defined by

 Pitot Pressure
Pitot pressure is the pressure that is measured by a Pitot tube, an open-ended tube connected
to a pressure-measuring device. For subsonic flow, pitot pressure is equal to the stagnation
pressure (or total pressure) of the flow, and hence the term pitot pressure is often used
interchangeably with these other terms.
  Static Pressure
In the design and operation of aircraft, static pressure is the air pressure in the aircraft's static
pressure system. An aircraft's altimeter is operated by the static pressure system. An aircraft's
airspeed indicator is operated by the static pressure system and the pitot pressure system.