Hmmm. I wonder because if you walk on snow in high heels (work with me here) you'll sink, but if you have clowns shoes on you exert less the same force over a larger area hence you actually produce less pressure)

So I thought Id do some rough guessing

Now I dont know specifics, but I would imagine that actual pad size is fairly similar single vs 4 pot.

Some examples (and Im guessing the single calipers piston at 50mm diameter, I checked another site and the m16 caliper has a piston diameter 19mm or so.)


(not to scale obviously)
a = 9.5mm
b = 25 mm

Contact area of the piston is (pi)r squared

so

4 pot is 3.142 x (9.5 x 9.5) = 283.566mm squared
Single is 3.142 x (12.5 x 12.5) = 490.938mm squared

Lets assume that the pedal exerts the same force. Say 500. (joules (no not Spadge) I think )

Pressure = force / area

So on a single caliper its 500 over 490.938mm squared = 1.018
on a 4 pot its twice that of course so 500 over 567.132 mm squared = 0.882

So presssure exerted on a pad in a single is 1.018

an in a 4 pot its 0.882

Is that right?

If its a 6 pot caliper with the same piston diameter as the 4 pot its 0.588

I dont know what that proves