A swimmer floats 10.3 m below the surface of a pool that is open to the air, and 10.3 m of water alone produces a pressure of 1.00 atm. What is the total pressure at that depth?
A0.50 atm
B1.00 atm
C2.00 atm
D4.00 atm
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: C. 2.00 atm
1. Pressures from different sources add, because both the weight of the water and the weight of the air above it must be supported.
2. The water above the swimmer contributes 1.00 atm at a depth of 10.3 m.
3. The atmosphere pressing on the open surface contributes a further 1.00 atm.
4. The total pressure is therefore 1.00 atm + 1.00 atm = 2.00 atm, half from the water and half from the air.
5. Answering 1.00 atm is the trap for ignoring the atmosphere sitting on the surface of the pool.
_Source: OpenStax College Physics (CC BY 4.0), Ch 11 "Fluid Statics", section 11.4 Variation of Pressure with Depth in a Fluid_
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