Pascal’s law, << pas KALZ or PAS kulz, >> also called Pascal’s principle, describes the effect of applying pressure on a fluid in a closed container. It states that pressure applied to an enclosed fluid is transmitted with equal force throughout the container. The law explains why a thin-walled bottle filled with water and fitted with a cork may break when the cork is pushed down. Pascal’s law was named for Blaise Pascal, a French scientist and mathematician of the 1600’s. See also Hydraulics ; Pascal, Blaise .
