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.)
Want to see the full answer?
Check out a sample textbook solutionChapter 15 Solutions
Physics (5th Edition)
Additional Science Textbook Solutions
Introduction to Electrodynamics
The Cosmic Perspective
College Physics: A Strategic Approach (4th Edition)
Conceptual Physics (12th Edition)
University Physics Volume 1
- A submarine is stranded on the bottom of the ocean with its hatch 25.0 m below the surface. Calculate the force needed to open the hatch from the inside, given it is circular and 0.450 m in diameter. Air pressure inside the submarine is 1.00 atm.arrow_forwardA container of water has a cross-sectional area of A=0.1m2 . A piston sits top of the water (see be following figure). There is a spout located 0.15 m from the bottom of tank, open to the atmosphere, and a stream of water exits the spout. The cross sectional area of the spat is As=7.0104m2 . (a) What is the velocity of the water as it leaves the spout? (b) If the opening of the spout is located 1.5 m above the grand, how far from be pout does water hit the floor? Ignore friction and dissipative forces.arrow_forwardBird bones have air pockets to reduce their weight—this also gives them an average density significantly less than that of the bones of other animals. Suppose an ornithologist weighs a bird bone air and in water and finds its mass is 45.0 g ad its apparent mass when submerged is 3.60 g (assume the bone is watertight.)(a) What mass of is displaced? (b) What is the volume of the bone? (c) What is its average density?arrow_forward
- A horizontal pipe 10.0 cm in diameter has a smooth reduction to a pipe 5.00 cm in diameter. If the pressure of the water in the larger pipe is 8.00 104 Pa and the pressure in the smaller pipe is 6.00 104 Pa, at what rate does water flow through the pipes?arrow_forwardWhat is the pressure inside an alveolus having a radius of 2.50104 m if the surface tension of the fluid-lined wall is the same as for soapy water? You may assume the pressure is the same as that created by a spherical bubble.arrow_forwardA 62.0-kg survivor of a cruise line disaster rests atop a block of Styrofoam insulation, using it as a raft. The Styrofoam has dimensions 2.00 m 2.00 m 0.090 0 m. The bottom 0.024 m of the raft is submerged. (a) Draw a force diagram of the system consisting of the survivor and raft. (b) Write Newtons second law for the system in one dimension, using B for buoyancy, w for the weight of the survivor, and wr for the weight of the raft. (Set a = 0.) (c) Calculate the numeric value for the buoyancy, B. (Seawater has density 1 025 kg/m3.) (d) Using the value of B and the weight w of the survivor, calculate the weight w, of the Styrofoam. (e) What is the density of the Styrofoam? (f) What is the maximum buoyant, force, corresponding to the raft being submerged up to its top surface? (g) What total mass of survivors can the raft support?arrow_forward
- How many cubic meters of helium are required to lift a light balloon with a 400-kg payload to a height of 8 000 m? Take Hc = 0.179 kg/m3. Assume the balloon maintains a constant volume and the density of air decreases with the altitude z according to the expression pair = 0e-z/8 000, where z is in meters and 0 = 1.20 kg/m3 is the density of air at sea level.arrow_forwardA tank with a flat bottom of area A and vertical sides is filled to a depth h with water. The pressure is P0 at the top surface. (a) What is the absolute pressure at the bottom of the tank? (b) Suppose an object of mass M and density less than the density of water is placed into the tank and floats. No water overflows. What is the resulting increase in pressure at the bottom of the tank?arrow_forwardHow many cubic meters of helium are required to lift a balloon with a 400-kg payload to a height of 8 000 m? Take He = 0.179 kg/m3. Assume the balloon maintains a constant volume and the density of air decreases with the altitude z according to the expression air = 0ez/8, where z is in meters and 0 = 1.20 kg/m3 is the density of air at sea level.arrow_forward
- The Bernoulli effect can have important consequences for the design of buildings. For example, wind can blow around a skyscraper at remarkably high speed, creating low pressure. The higher atmospheric pressure in the still air inside the buildings can cause windows to pop out. As originally constructed, the John Hancock Building in Boston popped windowpanes that fell many stories to the sidewalk below. (a) Suppose a horizontal wind blows with a speed of 11.2 m/s outside a large pane of plate glass with dimensions 4.00 m 1.50 m. Assume the density of the air to be constant at 1.20 kg/m3. The air inside the building is at atmospheric pressure. What is the total force exerted by air on the windowpane? (b) What If? If a second skyscraper is built nearby, the airspeed can be especially high where wind passes through the narrow separation between the buildings. Solve part (a) again with a wind speed of 22.4 m/s, twice as high.arrow_forwardWater enters a smooth, horizontal tube with a speed of 2.0 m/s and emerges out of the tube with a speed of 8.0 m/s. Each end of the tube has a different cross-sectional radius. Find the ratio of the entrance radius to the exit radius.arrow_forwardConsidering the magnitude of typical arterial blood pressures, why are mercury rather than water manometers used for these measurements?arrow_forward
- Principles of Physics: A Calculus-Based TextPhysicsISBN:9781133104261Author:Raymond A. Serway, John W. JewettPublisher:Cengage LearningPhysics for Scientists and EngineersPhysicsISBN:9781337553278Author:Raymond A. Serway, John W. JewettPublisher:Cengage LearningPhysics for Scientists and Engineers with Modern ...PhysicsISBN:9781337553292Author:Raymond A. Serway, John W. JewettPublisher:Cengage Learning
- College PhysicsPhysicsISBN:9781285737027Author:Raymond A. Serway, Chris VuillePublisher:Cengage LearningPhysics for Scientists and Engineers, Technology ...PhysicsISBN:9781305116399Author:Raymond A. Serway, John W. JewettPublisher:Cengage LearningCollege PhysicsPhysicsISBN:9781305952300Author:Raymond A. Serway, Chris VuillePublisher:Cengage Learning