What occurs to hydrostatic pressure as depth increases?

Hydrostatic pressure is the pressure exerted by a fluid at rest due to the weight of the fluid above it. As depth increases in a fluid, such as water, the weight of the fluid above that depth also increases. This is due to the fact that the weight of each layer of fluid adds to the pressure felt at greater depths.

The formula for hydrostatic pressure is given by the equation ( P = ρgh ), where ( P ) is the hydrostatic pressure, ( ρ ) is the fluid density, ( g ) is the acceleration due to gravity, and ( h ) is the height (or depth) of the fluid column above the point in question.

As depth, ( h ), increases, the overall pressure increases proportionally because you are effectively adding more weight of the fluid above. This consistent increase in pressure with depth is a fundamental principle in fluid mechanics, explaining why the correct answer indicates that hydrostatic pressure increases with depth.