Question

Atmospheric pressure is more complicated than what is presented in the hydrostatic pressure equation (p = p₀ + ??gd) but there are some similar patterns as you observed in this part. The air we breathe is a fluid but it is also a gas that is spread out between the ground and approximately 30 km above it. Pressure increases with depth under water because of the weight of the fluid above it. This also happens with air, but since it is a gas it doesn’t behave exactly the same way. Based on the properties of gases, explain what else is happening to the air near the surface of the ground that is not happening in a liquid.

Answer 1

Solution:

At any given location , the properties of air vary with the distance from the surface of the Earth . Air temperature near the surface of the ground is at a higher temperature than at higher altitudes. The pressure of the air decreases as altitude increases . This is so because the heated air near the ground will have a lesser density and rises up and spreads out .Relative humidity decreases as temperature increases. But the amount of water vapor remains the same.