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The Barometric Formula

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The Barometric Formula


If the atmospheric pressure at ground level is mmHg P0 = 760 = 29.92 = 101.3 inHg kPa

and the temperature is uniform at 300 K= C

Index

Gas law then the pressure at an altitude concepts of Kinetic h = 1337 m = 4386.482939632546 ft theory is concepts mmHg Ph = 652.6129449983596 = 25.692341203093317 inHg = 86.98643595833397 kPa

Note that the model calculation assumes a uniform temperature, and is therefore not a realistic model of the atmosphere. The This calculation uses m temperature tends to decrease with height, so = 29 amu the model calculation will overestimate the M= kg/mol. pressure at a given height. Derivation of formula Pressure at selected heights Constituents of air HyperPhysics***** Thermodynamics
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The Barometric Formula


Starting at some point in midair, the change in pressure associated with a small change in height can be found in terms of the weight of the air.

Index The change in pressure depends on

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The Barometric Formula

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density , but depends on the pressure as follows. . The solution for the change from the ground ( ) to height h ( ) gives

Gas law concepts Kinetic theory concepts

Calculation Details of solution

The development of the barometric formula makes use of a number of concepts from kinetic theory, such as the ideal gas law and the associated molecular constants. In the exponential, the two terms have the units of energy. The numerator mgh is gravitational potential energy and the term kT is thermal energy. HyperPhysics***** Thermodynamics
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The Barometric Formula


Having shown that the rate of change of pressure with height has the form

it is necessary to take the limit as the change in height approaches zero, putting it in the form of a derivative.

Index Gas law concepts Kinetic theory

This type of equation can be

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The Barometric Formula

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solved for P by making a substitution of the type

concepts

fitting the boundary conditions gives

Calculation Form of solution HyperPhysics***** Thermodynamics


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The Barometric Formula

Index Gas law concepts The equation for the variation of barometric pressure with height has the form Kinetic theory concepts

which has the formal solution

Substituting the solution gives

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The Barometric Formula

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Calculation Fitting boundary conditions HyperPhysics***** Thermodynamics


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Atmospheric Pressure, Selected Heights


Compared to the standard Atmospheric pressure at sea level, 760 mmHg = 760 torr, the pressure at some heights above the earth are: Height Measured pressure Predicted pressure Index Gas law concepts Kinetic theory concepts

30 km (19 mi) 9.5 torr 25 torr 60 km (37 mi) 0.21 torr .8 torr 90 km (56 mi) 0.0019 torr .03 torr
These pressures are considerably below those predicted by the barometric formula, which can be used to calculate variations in barometric pressure with height near the earth. (The predicted pressures above used temperature

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The Barometric Formula

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300K and pressure 760 mmHg.) Though the pressure decreases rapidly, even at 200 km (124 mi) there is enough residual atmospheric pressure to gradually slow a satellite, limiting its lifetime. HyperPhysics***** Thermodynamics
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Constituents of the Air


The constituents of dry air can be expressed as volume percentages, which will translate to the partial pressures out of the total atmospheric pressure Index Gas law concepts Kinetic theory concepts

Since a mole of any ideal gas occupies the same volume, it follows that the volume percentage is also the percentage by number. The average molecular mass can then be found by weighting the masses by their volume percentages above. Atmospheric pressure Barometric formula Respiration
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