3.

3 Gas
Pressure &
Atmospheric
Pressure

Learning Outcomes
1

explain gas

pressure
explain atmospheric

pressure applications
.
describe
of
atmospheric

pressure .

solve problems involving

Explain Gas
Pressure
One common feature of all these balls

is that
they contain air under high pressure.

You can force air into the balls

using an air pump.

ACTIVITY 1:Idea of Gas

Pressure

Use a bicycle pump to pump air into

a defated ball. When air is pumped
into a ball, what changes do you

The ball will be fully inflated

observe
in the ball?
and it expands

How would you know when there is

enough
air in the
ball?
It
will become
hard
when you press the
ball. Feel an opposing force acting on

Kinetic Theory of Gases

When you squeeze a ball filled
opposing
you will feel
force
with
fromair,
the inside of the
an force comes from
The
acting
ball.
billions
and

billions of air molecules

striking the
The molecules in a gas move
random
inner wall of the ball.
motion
collide
freely in
wit
When
the

.
the inner wall of the ball, the
pushes
h
molecules
the wall

force

Th
exerted on the inner
gas pressure
the ball is know
e
wall of

as

Explain Gas
Pressure

The gas pressure in a container is

caused by

the collision of gas molecules with

Gas/Ai pressure is the force
surface
by air molecules per unit
the
walls
r
exerted on a
area
of theofcontainer.
surface.

th
e

Atmospheric
Pressure
can be attached
on windscre of a ca
Have you ever wondered
the
en
how plastic stickers

without dropping
The stickers are

off?
actually pressed on the

glass surface by the

surrounding A TMOSPHERIC
PRESSURE

Atmospheric pressure
The atmosphere is a
thick layer of air that
surrounds the Earth.
The atmosphere exerts
a pressure called
atmospheric
pressure which cause
by the weight of the
thick layer of air
above the Earths
surface.

Explain atmospheric
pressure

Atmospheric pressure is the pressure

weight
equally
caused
by the

of the air above us.

Atmospheric pressure acts

in all directions.

 Explain the relationship between

altitude and
Explain why atmospheric pressure

Explain atmospheric
pressure

Atmospheric pressure varies with the

height
of the object above sea level.

It decreases with the altitude

or the height above sea level.
At higher altitudes, the density
and the temperature of the air
are lower. As a result, the
frequency of collisions of the

ACTIVITY 2: Experiments to
show the

existence of the atmospheric

Fill an empty plastic bottle with

until it is about
a
Tighten
pressure
hot water
ca immediate an wai fo a fe second
quarter full.
the
p ly
d t
r
w s.

Observati

s_t_e from the boiling water

Th
out the air
the plastic
e
a_m drives
_
The cap prevents
fro
air
from
bottle.

outside

m
When cold water
is poured on it, the
conden
inside
bottl
to water and
fowing into
the
se
steam
v
a
_
_c_c inside
forms
bottle
it
the
bottle. e
The atmospheric pressure outside
partial
.
u_u_m the
_
_h_i_g_ then compress the
which is
h_e_r bottle.

Application:

the
resultant
force
caused
by
the surface of
atmospheric
pressure weight
acts
on
the
the
cardboard is greater of
than the the water in
the glass.

Application:
When we suck through a
straw, the air pressure in the
straw is lowered. Then the
pressure of the atmosphere
acting on the surface of the
drink in the glass pushes the
water up the straw and into
our mouth.

When the sucker is

pressed into place,
most
of the air behind it is
squeezed out. The
sucker
is held in position by
the

Vacuum Cleaner

The fan inside the vacuum cleaner

blows air
out of the vents. Which less air
inside , the air
pressure there drops. The
atmospheric
pressure outside then pushes air up

 The barometer is made

by filling a long glass
tube with mercury. The
tube is then turned
upside down in a bow of
mercury. The mercury
level in the tube will drop
until a level h = 76 cm
above the mercury level
in the bowl.
(a)Why the level does not
drop further?

Atmospheric
pressure support

Mercur
y
Baromet
er

(b) Pressure at A is due to

Atmospheric
pressure Mercur
the
(b) Pressure at B is due to

Mercury
column
the

(d) Pressure at C = 0
(e) Compare the pressure
at A and B.
PA = P B

Atmospheric pressure
equal Mercury Pressure

y
Baromet
er

Mercur

Atmospheric
Equal
Mercury
pressure
(f)
density of
to If thePressure
the
and the acceleration

y
m-3

mercury
is
1.36
x
due to
104 kg
gravity is 10 ms-2,
calculate
P = 1.36 x 104 x 10 x
0.76
the atmospheric
= 1.03 x 105 Pa

Baromet
er

What is the value of

the
atmospheric
76 cm
pressure
in cm
What is the
pressure
Hg?
Hg
at point
= 90 cm
x76
in +
cm14
Hg?
Hg
m
k
If a of water is
The
density
made using water
3.
instead
of
g
is
1000 barometer
mercury, and a very
long
tube, how high is

Mercur
y
Baromet
er

At sea level:

Atmospheric

pressure
.

=
.. Pa
76
.
cm

=
Hg
10

=
. m

1
water
= .

Mercur
y
Baromet
er


Question

If
2 a mercury barometer were carried
up a
mountain, how would you expect the

Decreases, atmospheric
height
pressure decreases as the
altitude
increases
of
the mercury
column to change?
Explain.

Question
The diagram
3
Ga
shows a
X is trapped in a
s
tube
If the
mercury
glass
height of the
.barometer.
vertical
mercury
level is 40 cm of Hg
calculate
pressur
and
exerted by the
the
e
75 40 = 35 cm Hg
the atmospheric
gas X

Manomete
r

A
consists
Umanometer
that is filled with
of a
tube
a
liquid like water,
oil

Atmospheric pressure
or mercury.
pressure, both
In figure (a) when
levels
both ends of the

Manomete
r

In figure (b) when one end is

connected

Manomete
r

What is the

total
pressure a
Compare
point
pressure at W and
the
W?
the

At the same level

gas pressure.
Write
an
equation that
relate
,
between
an Pgas

Manomete
r

Manomete
r

Manomete
r

P W =Pga
At the
s same

P W =Pat +Pmerku
m

ri

 [P
atmospher = 76 cm

density
of
ic
Hg,

=1.3 x -1 k mNkg

mercury
P ga = 32 + 76
s

g = 10
104 g

= 108
cm Hg

What is the gas

in

pressure

Pa?

P gas = gh
= 1.46 x 1045
1.36 x 10 x 10 x
Pa
1.08

3]