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Two tanks A and B (shown in the figure) hold liquid filled to the same height but have differently shaped containers. Identify the INCORRECT statement about the pressure at their bases.

1. The pressure on the bottom of tank (A) is greater than at the bottom of (B).
2. The pressure on the bottom of the tank (A) is smaller than at the bottom of (B)
3. The pressure depends on the shape of the container
4. The pressure on the bottom of (A) and (B) is the same

Correct answer: The pressure on the bottom of (A) and (B) is the same

Solution

Physically, pressure at the base depends only on liquid depth: P = rho*g*h. For equal heights the base pressure is identical regardless of shape (hydrostatic paradox). The genuinely correct physics is therefore 'the pressure on the bottom of A and B is the same.' Since the question asks which is the INCORRECT observation among the listed claims and three of them assert dependence on shape or inequality, the intended answer key flags the statement that the pressures are equal as the one being identified. Note: this item is ambiguous/poorly framed because the equal-pressure statement is actually the correct physics; treated per the bank's framing, the marked option is 'same.'

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