Final answer:
The atmospheric pressure on Venus is about 1,300 psi, while Earth's normal atmospheric pressure at sea level is 14.7 psi. Thus, 88.8 psi is much less than Earth's normal pressure at sea level. Therefore, option (b) is correct.
Step-by-step explanation:
The pressure of the atmosphere on the surface of Venus is indeed much greater than the pressure on Earth at sea level. On Earth, the average atmospheric pressure at sea level is approximately 14.7 psi, equivalent to 1 atmosphere (atm).
Given that the pressure on Venus is about 88.8 atm, when converted to pounds per square inch (psi), this would be approximately 1,300 psi (specifically, the equation from the reference gives a pressure on Venus of 1.30 × 10³ lb in²).
Therefore, 88.8 psi is much less than the normal pressure on Earth at sea level in psi. The comparison does not depend on the units used but rather on the actual values when properly converted.
Hence, option (b) 88.8 psi < Earth's normal pressure is the correct choice.