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Ideal Piston Pressure, Bore & Force

Calculate ideal piston force from positive pressure difference and a full circular bore area.

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How to use this calculator

  1. Enter the known values in the units shown. Results update as you type.
  2. Where results are editable, change one to solve backwards. Lock a value to hold it fixed.
  3. Use the worked example to check the method. Reset restores the starting fields.

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Formula and method

A 20 mm bore has area 100π mm². At a pressure difference of 100,000 Pa, its ideal full-bore force is 10π N, approximately 31.416 N.

Bore area = π × bore diameter² / 4; ideal force = pressure difference × area

Worked example

Enter these known values and leave the other values blank.

Full bore diameter
20 mm
Pressure difference across the piston
100000 Pa
Full bore area
314.16 mm²
Ideal full-bore force
31.416 N

Assumptions and limitations

  • Diameter, area, pressure difference and force are positive. Pressure is the effective difference acting across the full circular area.
  • The model omits rod area, unequal pressure on separate faces, friction, seals and dynamic loads. Retraction force generally needs the annular area rather than the full bore.
  • Gauge supply pressure can represent the pressure difference when the other side is at the same atmospheric reference. Absolute supply pressure alone is not the net pressure difference.

Common questions

Does doubling bore diameter double force?

At fixed pressure difference, it quadruples ideal force because circular area scales with diameter squared.

Does this give actual cylinder output force?

It gives the ideal full-bore pressure force. Actual output requires accounting for friction, rod geometry and pressure on the other face.

References

Pounds-force per square inch use the exact international pound and inch with standard gravity, replacing the rounded captured factor. The pound-force uses the exact international pound and standard gravity instead of the rounded captured factor.

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