Final answer:
The height of a bromine column exerting 1 atm of pressure is approximately 3.32 meters when using the equation P = hdg with the given density and gravitational constant.
Step-by-step explanation:
To calculate the height of a bromine column exerting a pressure of 1 atm, you can rearrange the hydrostatic pressure equation P = hdg, where P is the pressure, h is the height of the liquid column, d is the density of the liquid, and g is the acceleration due to gravity. With a density of 3.120 g/cm3 (which is 3120 kg/m3 when converted to standard SI units) and the gravitational constant g = 9.80665 m/s2, we can solve for h using the pressure of 1 atm, which is equivalent to 101,325 Pa (N/m2).
Rearranging the formula to solve for h, we get:
h = P / (dg)
Substituting the given values:
h = 101,325 N/m2 / (3120 kg/m3 × 9.80665 m/s2)
h = 101,325 / 30,589.8792
h = 3.31 m
Thus, the height of the bromine column that exerts a pressure of 1 atm is approximately 3.32 meters, which is closest to option a) 3.12 m, considering the significant figures provided in the question.