In a hydraulic system, if the piston diameter remains constant and pressure increases, what happens to output force?

• A. Output force remains unchanged.
• B. Output force increases exponentially with pressure.
• C. Output force increases proportionally to pressure.
• D. Output force decreases as pressure increases.

Answer: (C)

The main idea is that output force in a hydraulic cylinder depends on pressure times the piston area. With a fixed piston diameter, the cross-sectional area doesn’t change, so the force changes in direct proportion to pressure. In other words, F = P × A, and since A is constant, increasing P yields a proportional increase in F. This is a linear relationship, so doubling the pressure doubles the output force, not something exponential. The only way to get a non-proportional result would be if the area changed, which isn’t the case here.