Question:

3. Imagine you are measuring air pressure of an open area

Last updated: 7/30/2022

3. Imagine you are measuring air pressure of an open area

3. Imagine you are measuring air pressure of an open area using an apparatus looking like the one on the right: A long glass tube, sealed at one end, has an inner diameter of 10.0 mm. You consider choosing a liquid between mercury and water to fill this apparatus to measure air pressure. (density of Hg = 13.6 g/mL, density of water = 1.00 g/mL) a) If the atmospheric pressure is 1.1 atm, how high (in meters) is the column of mercury in the tube? b) If you fill this apparatus with water, how high is the column of water in the tube? c) Based on your answer to a) and b), explain why mercury is a better option to measure air pressure than water.