Question

The greatest ocean depths on Earth are found in the Marianas Trench near the Philippines. Calculate the pressure due to the ocean at the bottom of this trench, given its depth is 11.0 km and assuming the density of seawater is constant all the way down.

a) 10.8 MPa
b) 108 MPa
c) 216 MPa
d) 324 MPa

Answer 1

The pressure due to the ocean at the bottom of the Marianas Trench is approximately 108 MPa.

Step-by-step explanation:

To calculate the pressure due to the ocean at the bottom of the Marianas Trench, we can use the formula P = ρgh, where P is the pressure, ρ is the density of the seawater, g is the acceleration due to gravity, and h is the depth. The density of seawater is about 1025 kg/m³, and the acceleration due to gravity is 9.8 m/s².

Thus, the pressure at the bottom of the trench can be calculated as: P = (1025 kg/m³) * (9.8 m/s²) * (11.0 km) * (1000 m/km)

Plugging in the values and doing the calculations, we find that the pressure due to the ocean at the bottom of the Marianas Trench is approximately 108 MPa.