Pascal's Wager

This device shows that the pressure at the base of a column of water depends only on the height of the column and not on its shape. The system consists of a metal base plate, with the right side featuring a fixture for an acrylic glass support (with watertight rings and a rubber membrane designed to hold the glass containers). The liquid in the container exerts a force on the rubber membrane. The force is transmitted by a piston from the membrane to the short lever arm of a two-arm lever. The force is magnified on the adjustable height scale. A weight that can be moved on the long arm of the lever compensates for the force exerted on the short arm. Four glass containers of different shapes but with the same base area and height are available for experiments. A level indicator marks the filling height of the containers. A drain tube at the back of the acrylic glass support allows for connecting a hose for liquid drainage.