Question

The RMS Titanic sunk in the North Atlantic in 1912. The wreck was discovered in 1985 laying on the seafloor at a depth of approximately 3800m. What is the pressure (in atmospheres) at this depth?

A) 38 atm
B) 380 atm
C) 381 atm
D) 379 atm

Answer 1

The pressure at a depth of approximately 3800m is approximately b. 380 atm.

Step-by-step explanation:

To calculate the pressure at a certain depth in a fluid, we can use the formula:

Pressure = density × gravitational acceleration × depth

Given that the density of seawater is constant and the depth of the wreck is approximately 3800m, we can calculate the pressure at this depth by substituting the values into the formula:

Pressure = (density of seawater) × (gravitational acceleration) × (depth)

Using a common approximation for the density of seawater at the surface, we can estimate it to be approximately 1025 kg/m³. The gravitational acceleration is approximately 9.8 m/s².

Pressure = (1025 kg/m³) × (9.8 m/s²) × (3800m)

Calculating this expression gives us a pressure of approximately 37,999 atm, which can be rounded to 380 atm (option B).