Which sensor type is used to measure pressure or force?

• A. Switch
• B. Pressure sensor
• C. Photocell
• D. Altimeter

Answer: (B)

Measuring pressure or force relies on a sensor that transduces mechanical input into an electrical signal. A pressure sensor is designed to respond to the pressure applied to its sensing element and convert that pressure into a readable electrical output. Because pressure equals force divided by area, you can infer force from the measured pressure if you know the contact area, which makes pressure sensors useful for both quantities. The other devices aren’t designed to provide a quantitative measure of pressure or force: a switch signals a binary state, not a measurement; a photocell detects light levels; an altimeter uses pressure to estimate altitude but is specialized for that purpose rather than general pressure/force sensing.