Chapter 15, Problem 88GP

The Depth of the Atmosphere Evangelista Torricelli (1608–1647) was the first to put forward the idea that we live at the bottom of an ocean of air. (a) Given the value of atmospheric pressure at the surface of the Earth, and the fact that there is zero pressure in the vacuum of space, determine the depth of the atmosphere, assuming that the density of air and the acceleration of gravity are constant. (b) According to this model, what is the atmospheric pressure at the summit of Mt. Everest, 29,029 ft above sea level. (In fact, the density of air and the acceleration of gravity decrease with altitude, so the result obtained here is less than the actual depth of the atmosphere. Still, this is a reasonable first estimate.)