Question

Explain why the walls of a dam are thicker near the bottom than at the top.
[ 3 Marks ]

Answer 1

The pressure of water increases with an increase in depth.
[ 1 Mark ]
The walls of the dam experience a greater pressure near the bottom. This is because the pressure of the water is much greater deeper down and the dam needs to be thick at the bottom so that it is strong enough to withstand this larger pressure.
[ 2 Marks ]