Kalaafaanu School

Physics/Grade 10

Atmospheric Pressure

LESSON OBJECTIVES At the end of the lesson, you will be able to: Understand the concept of Atmospheric pressure Understand the working of barometer to measure the atmospheric pressure Understand the working of Manometer to measure the Pressure difference Apply the concept of atmospheric pressure in day to day life

What is Atmospheric Pressure?

According to the kinetic theory of gases, gases consist of molecules which are far apart and in random motion at high speeds. The gas molecules possess mass and experience the gravitational pull. The result is that gases have weight. The atmosphere is a thick layer of air that surrounds the Earth. The atmosphere exerts a pressure called atmospheric pressure which is caused by the weight of the thick layer of air above the Earth's surface. Atmospheric pressure acts on every object on the surface of the earth. Unit of atmospheric pressure is - Pascal (Pa) - centimeter/millimeter mercury (cm of Hg/mm of Hg) - atmosphere (atm)Notes: Atmospheric Pressure at Sea Level = 1atm 1 atm = 76cmHg = 100,000 Pa

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Kalaafaanu School Existence of Atmospheric Pressure

The cardboard does not fall and the water remains in the glass even though its not supported by anything. Explanation: The force caused by the atmospheric pressure acts on the surface of the cardboard is greater than the weight of the water in the glass.

Physics/Grade 10

Crushing Can
When a can filled with hot water is closed and is cooled down rapidly by pouring cold water on it, it will crash instantly. Explanation: When the air inside the can is cooled, its pressure decreases. The high atmospheric pressure outside exerts a great force on the can and causes it crashes. Magdeburg Hemisphere When the air inside the hemisphere is pumped out so that it becomes a vacuum, the hemisphere cannot be separated even by a very great force. Explanation: The atmospheric pressure exerts a strong force on the outer surface of the hemisphere, holding the hemisphere tightly together Kalaafaanu/Physics/ Vectors notes Page 2

Kalaafaanu School Atmospheric Pressure and Altitude

Atmospheric pressure decreases as the altitude increases. Instrument Pressure -Simple mercury Barometer Used to Measure Atmospheric

Physics/Grade 10

Construction of simple Mercury Barometer

A mercury barometer consists of a thick-walled glass tube, which is closed at one end. The tube is completely filled with mercury and inverted several times to remove air bubbles. The tube is then completely filled again with mercury. After all air has been removed, the open end of the glass tube is inverted into a container of mercury.

The mercury column drops until it reaches a height of about 76cm above the lower surface. The space between the top of the mercury and the end of the tube should contain no air; it is a complete vacuum.

The column of mercury in the tube is supported by the atmospheric pressure and its height depends on the magnitude of the atmospheric pressure.

Since the atmospheric pressure at sea level can support a vertical column of mercury 76 cm or 760 mm high, we can, for convenience, express mm Hg as a unit of pressure. 1 Standard atmospheric pressure (1 P atm) = 76 cm Hg or 760 mm Hg (also known as one atmosphere). P atm = 76 cm Hg = 10 000 Pa. Kalaafaanu/Physics/ Vectors notes Page 3

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Physics/Grade 10

Simple Barometer
Pa = 0cmHg Pb = 26cmHg Pe = 76cmHg Pf = 84 cmHg For a given liquid, the pressure will be the same at same level. Therefore, Pd = Pe = 76cmHg The difference of gas pressure at different level can be ignored if the difference of the height is not too large. Therefore, Pc = Pd = 76cmHg

More about Simple Barometer

The height, h will remains unchanged when i) the glass tube is lifted up from the dish ii) the glass tube is lowered further into the dish iii) the diameter of the glass tube increases iv) v) the glass tube is tilted the quantity of mercury in the dish is increased Page 4

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Physics/Grade 10

Application of Atmospheric Pressure

Rubber Sucker
-When the sucker is pressed into place, the air inside is forced out. -The sucker is held in position by the high atmospheric pressure on the outside surface.

Syringe
When the piston is pulled up, the atmospheric pressure inside the cylinder will decrease. The atmospheric pressure outside pushes the liquid up into the syringe

Vacuum Cleaner

When a vacuum cleaner is switched on, it sucks out the air inside the cleaner, causes the pressure inside the cleaner become low. The atmospheric pressure which is higher in magnitude, forces the air and duct particles into the cleaner.

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Kalaafaanu School Straw

-When a person suck through the straw, the pressure in the straw become low. -The atmospheric pressure outside which is higher will force the water into the straw and consequently into the mouth.

Physics/Grade 10

Manometer
Manometers are used to measure the pressure difference between two regions. It consists of a tube of plastic or glass, bent into the U-shape and filled with a liquid that is often oil. If there is a pressure difference between the ends of the manometer, the liquid moves until the pressure difference is balanced by the difference in heights of the ends of the liquid. The greater the pressure the greater the difference in heights. Oil is often used rather than water because water evaporates and also oil is less dense which makes the manometer more sensitive. Kalaafaanu/Physics/ Vectors notes Page 6

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Physics/Grade 10

When the pressure of gas is greater than atmospheric Pressure

Pgas = Patm + Pliquid Pgas = Patm + gh

Pgas = Gas Pressure Patm = Atmospheric Pressure g = Gravitational Field Strength

The pressure of the gas is given by h (the difference in mercury levels) in mmHg. Atmospheric pressure pushes on the mercury from one direction, and the gas in the container pushes from the other direction. In a manometer, since the gas in the bulb is pushing more than the atmospheric pressure, you add the atmospheric pressure to the height difference:

Pgas > Patm

Gas pressure = atmospheric pressure + h (height of mercury)

Pgas = patm + gh

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Physics/Grade 10

When the pressure of gas is lower than atmospheric Pressure

If the gas pressure is lower than the atmospheric pressure, it will drive down the liquid level in the right side of the manometer. The pressure of the gas, Pgas can be calculated by:

Pgas < Patm Gas pressure = atmospheric pressure - h (height of the mercury)

Pgas = patm gh

Closed end Manometer

If we will look at closed-end manometers (illustrated below) first, as they are easier to read. As indicated in the diagram below, the empty space above the mercury level in the tube is a vacuum. Therefore, there are no molecules pounding on the surface of the mercury in the tube. In manometer A, the flask does not contain any gas, so there are no molecules to exert a pressure. In other words, exactly even. . The mercury level in the outside arm balances the mercury level in the inside arm, so the two mercury levels will be

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Physics/Grade 10

Pgas = 0

Pgas = 760mm

Pgas = 200mm

We let the flask of manometer B contain a gas at pressure. The mercury level in the outside tube (the arm further from the flask) will rise to a height of 760 mm of Hg. The excess mercury in the outside tube balances the gas pressure in the flask. In manometer C, we would read the gas pressure in the flask as 200 mm of Hg. In closed-end manometers, the excess mercury is always in the outside tube, and the height difference in mercury levels will equal the gas pressure in the flask.

Problem solving questions

1. Figure above shows a simple barometer. Find the atmospheric pressure in the unit of a) cm of Hg b) Pa [Density of mercury = 13,600 kgm-3] Answer: a) The atmospheric pressure, P = 76cmHg b) The atmospheric pressure, P = hg P = (0.76)(13,600)(10) = 103,360 Pa

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2. Figure above shows a column of mercury in a glass tube. Some air is trapped in the glass tube. If the atmospheric pressure is 76cmHg, what is the pressure of the gas inside the tube? Answer:

Physics/Grade 10

Patm = Pair + Pmercury (76) = Pair + 50 Pair= 76 - 50 = 26cmHg

3. Figure above shows the water levels in a water manometer used to measure the pressure of a gas supply. Find the pressure of the gas in unit of i) cm water ii) Pa [Atmospheric Pressure = 1000cm Water; Density of water = 1000kg/m3] Answer: i) Gas Pressure, P = Patm + Pwater P = 1000 + (30-5) = 1025 cm Water ii) h = 1025cm = 10.25m = 1000kgm3, g = 10ms-2 Gas Pressure, P = gh P = (10.25)(1000)(10) P = 102500 Pa Kalaafaanu/Physics/ Vectors notes Page 10