Final answer:
The device is a U-tube manometer, used to measure gas pressure in an experiment. In a closed-tube manometer, if the gas exerts pressure, it will cause the mercury level to rise in the column opposite to where the pressure is applied, indicating a higher column on the left than the right.
Step-by-step explanation:
The device shown in the image is a U-tube manometer, used for measuring gas pressure in an experiment. In the closed-tube design shown, a gas in the flask will exert a pressure on the mercury column closest to it, causing the column on the left to be higher than the column on the right. Therefore, the correct answer is: a) Manometer, higher.
A manometer is a device used to measure the pressure of a gas trapped in a container, and this is typically carried out through a U-shaped tube partially filled with mercury or another nonvolatile liquid. When gas pressure is applied to one arm of the manometer, the mercury level in the other arm will rise if the gas pressure exceeds the vacuum or atmospheric pressure present in the opposite arm.
In the context of this experiment, the manometer is used to determine the pressure of the gas within the flask by observing the difference in the height of the mercury columns between the two arms of the U-tube.