Final answer:
The pressure of a liquid depends on the height of the liquid column above the measurement point, with the pressure at any depth being constant across the horizontal plane irrespective of container shape.
Step-by-step explanation:
The pressure of a liquid is directly proportional to the height of the liquid column above the point where pressure is being measured. This relationship is described by the hydrostatic pressure equation: P = hpg,
where P is the pressure, h is the height of the liquid column, p is the density of the liquid, and g is the acceleration due to gravity. In a static fluid, the pressure at any particular depth is the same regardless of the shape of the container. This pressure, known as hydrostatic pressure, arises because of the weight of the liquid acting due to gravity. For example, normal atmospheric pressure can support a water column of over 10 meters, but because mercury is denser, a mercury barometer only needs to be a fraction of that height to measure atmospheric pressure.