Question

15. (a) Why do we not feel the large atmospheric pressure acting on us all the
time ?
(b) State two factors that can effect the atmospheric pressure at a given
place.
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Answer 1

a).The reason we can't feel it is that the air within our bodies (in our lungs and stomachs, for example) is exerting the same pressure outwards, so there's no pressure difference and no need for us to exert any effort.

b).The 2 main factors that affect barometric (air) pressure are:

• Temperature.
• Altitude or Elevation.

Answer 2

CHAPTER 2. ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE

2.1 MEASURING ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE

The atmospheric pressure is the weight exerted by the overhead atmosphere on a unit area of surface. It can be measured with a mercury barometer, consisting of a long glass tube full of mercury inverted over a pool of mercury: