Final answer:
In a perfect vacuum, atmospheric pressure at sea level can push water vertically up to 10.3 meters high, correlating with an atmospheric pressure of 101,325 N/m² or 14.7 psi. The height to which water can be pushed by atmospheric pressure exemplifies the concept of hydrostatic pressure.
Step-by-step explanation:
In a perfect vacuum, atmospheric pressure at sea level can push water vertically up to about 10.3 meters (approximately thirty feet). This is due to the hydrostatic pressure exerted by the atmosphere, which at sea level is 101,325 N/m² or 14.7 psi. The concept of atmospheric pressure is also applied to mercury barometers, where it supports a mercury column approximately 760 mm high (29.92 inches), due to mercury being denser than water. Therefore, the height of fluid columns supported by atmospheric pressure varies by the fluid's density.
For practical purposes like creating barometers, mercury is often used because it is denser than water. Since mercury is about 13.6 times denser, a mercury barometer only needs to be 1/13.6th as tall as a water barometer, thus making it easier to read and manage. The unit 'torr' is derived from this concept, traditionally equating to one millimeter of mercury, which aligns with the earlier definition of atmospheric pressure.