1 atmospheric pressure is equal to the pressure exerted by a column of water of height
Answers
Explanation:
Ordinary air pressure is the weight of a column of air that extends to the top of the Earth's atmosphere divided by the cross-sectional area of the column. Air pressure can be measured using a mercury barometer.
In the case of a Mercury Barometer the pressure exerted by 760mm column of mercury is the same as that of a column of air extending to the top of the atmosphere. Thus my measuring the height of column of mercury one can measure the pressure of the air. This method is not in much use these days because Mercury is considered a bio-hazard. One could use water instead of mercury except it would not be very practical since the a column of water that will equal that of air pressure is 10.3m high.
Hence, The atmospheric pressure can support 10.3 m vertical height of water .