alleryStart learning →Normal atmospheric pressure supports a column of water of about what height?
AAbout 0.76 metres
BAbout 1.36 metres
CAbout 10.3 metres
DAbout 13.6 metres
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: C. About 10.3 metres
1. Hydrostatic pressure is height times density times gravity.
2. Set that equal to atmospheric pressure: 101,325 Pa = h x 1000 kg per cubic metre x 9.81 m/s squared.
3. The denominator is 1000 x 9.81 = 9810 kg per square metre per second squared.
4. Divide: 101,325 / 9810 = 10.33 metres.
5. So water needs a column of about 10.3 metres, which is why water barometers are impractical.
6. The value 0.76 metres is the mercury column, and 13.6 is the density ratio of mercury to water, so both are numbers from the same problem placed in the wrong slot.
_Source: OpenStax Chemistry (CC BY 4.0), Ch 9 "Gases", section 9.1 Gas Pressure_
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