Final answer:
The claim that air pressure decreases by 50 percent at an elevation of 5500 m (18,000 ft) is false. Atmospheric pressure drops by about one-third for every 8800 meters in altitude. Therefore, at 5500 m, the pressure drop is less than this fraction.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that air pressure decreases by 50 percent at an elevation of 5500 m (18,000 ft) is false. According to the standard atmosphere model, air pressure drops by approximately one-third for every increase of 8800 meters in altitude. The given altitude of 5500 m is less than 8800 m, so the pressure would not have decreased by as much as 50 percent. At 5500 m, the pressure drop would be less than the one-third indicated for 8800 meters.
Based on data, it is observed that at higher altitudes such as the summit of Mt. Everest, which is 8848 m (29,029 ft) high, the air pressure is significantly lower compared to sea level. Sea level pressure is typically around 101.3 kPa (1000 u00B1 10 hPa, or 760 mmHg), whereas at the summit of Mt. Everest air pressure is only about 253 mm Hg.
Therefore, when considering pressures at altitudes of 1500 m and 3000 m, the air pressure values that are given as 8.59 x 104 N/m² and 7.00 x 104 N/m² respectively, show a decreasing trend but not a reduction to half of the pressure at sea level. This illustrates the general trend that atmospheric pressure decreases with increased altitude.