Pressure differences in arm and leg

[reising1]

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I can't remember where it was, but I think there was a question somewhere about blood pressure being higher in the arms or the legs, and I think the answer was arms.

Why is this? From P = pgh, shouldn't pressure be higher in the lower part of the body?

 

[eradicator]

I can't remember where it was, but I think there was a question somewhere about blood pressure being higher in the arms or the legs, and I think the answer was arms.

Why is this? From P = pgh, shouldn't pressure be higher in the lower part of the body?

Are you sure? I think the blood pressure is actually higher in the legs due to the hydrostatic pressure in the legs. http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/471829

 

[reising1]

That's what I thought. Okay, I'll find the original question and double check!

 

[reising1]

Yeah, pressure is higher in the legs than arms. Sorry, my fault.

 

[catzzz88]

remember that the blood in the legs has the pressure of all the rest of the blood in the body ABOVE it. Its like the EK example of stacking pennies on top of one another... The penny on the bottom has the highest force (both from above and its normal force).

Thus, pressure in the legs in higher.

This is due to increase "hydrostatic pressure" from the body's blood above the blood in the legs.

I only explain this because its best to actually understand why rather than just know the answer. 😉

 

[PlumbLine]

You may have seen this in the AAMC physics self assessment if you're still looking for where you saw it.