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A mercury barometer reads 760mmHg at the top of a mountain. If the density of mercury is 13600kg/m3 and average density of air is 1.30kg/m3,calculate the heigt of the mountain​

User Rolacja
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1 Answer

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Answer: To calculate the height of the mountain, you can use the fact that atmospheric pressure decreases with increasing altitude. This relationship is described by the equation:

P = P0 * e^(-h/H)

where P is the atmospheric pressure at a given altitude, P0 is the atmospheric pressure at sea level, h is the altitude, and H is a constant known as the scale height.

Since the atmospheric pressure at the top of the mountain is known (760mmHg), and the atmospheric pressure at sea level is a standard value (approximately 101325 Pa), we can rearrange the above equation to solve for h:

h = -H * ln(P/P0)

Plugging in the known values, we have:

h = -H * ln(760mmHg / 101325 Pa)

= -H * ln(0.00750062)

The scale height of the atmosphere can be calculated using the ideal gas law:

H = RT / g

where R is the universal gas constant, T is the temperature of the air, and g is the acceleration due to gravity.

Plugging in the known values, we have:

H = (8.31 J/mol*K) * (288 K) / (9.81 m/s^2)

= 7478.9 m

Substituting this value back into the equation for h gives:

h = -7478.9 m * ln(0.00750062)

= -7478.9 m * (-3.876)

= 28934.7 m

Therefore, the height of the mountain is approximately 28,934 meters.

User JEL
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