Final answer:
To determine the pressure at 17.3 kilometers above sea level, we can use the fact that atmospheric pressure decreases approximately exponentially with elevation. Applying the exponential decay equation, the pressure at 17.3 kilometers above sea level is approximately 95.75 mmHg.
Step-by-step explanation:
To determine the pressure at 17.3 kilometers above sea level, we can use the fact that atmospheric pressure decreases approximately exponentially with elevation. The continuous rate of decrease is given as 12% per kilometer. We start with the pressure at sea level, which is 766.0 mmHg, and then use the exponential decay equation to calculate the pressure at 17.3 kilometers above sea level.
The exponential decay equation is given by P = P0 * e^(-k * h), where P is the pressure at a certain altitude, P0 is the pressure at sea level, k is the continuous rate of decrease (in this case, 0.12), and h is the height above sea level in kilometers.
Plugging in the values, we have P = 766.0 * e^(-0.12 * 17.3) ≈ 766.0 * e^(-2.076) ≈ 766.0 * 0.125 ≈ 95.75 mmHg.
Therefore, the pressure at 17.3 kilometers above sea level is approximately 95.75 mmHg.