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Atmospheric

Atmospheric pressure decreases with increasing altitude. Every 1,000 feet of altitude gain causes atmospheric pressure to decrease by 1 "Hg. As pressure decreases, air density decreases, making aircraft engines and propellers less efficient and requiring longer takeoffs and landings. Atmospheric pressure can be measured using a mercury barometer, with 1 atmosphere equaling approximately 760 mm of mercury. The barometric formula can be used to calculate changes in pressure between elevations based on factors like temperature, but observed pressures may differ due to temperature variations with altitude.

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111 views

Atmospheric

Atmospheric pressure decreases with increasing altitude. Every 1,000 feet of altitude gain causes atmospheric pressure to decrease by 1 "Hg. As pressure decreases, air density decreases, making aircraft engines and propellers less efficient and requiring longer takeoffs and landings. Atmospheric pressure can be measured using a mercury barometer, with 1 atmosphere equaling approximately 760 mm of mercury. The barometric formula can be used to calculate changes in pressure between elevations based on factors like temperature, but observed pressures may differ due to temperature variations with altitude.

Uploaded by

Talha Gorsi
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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ATMOSPHEIC PRESSURE

Atmospheric pressure is defined as the force per unit area


exerted against a surface by the weight of the air above that
surface

Altitude and Atmospheric Pressure


As altitude increases, atmospheric pressure decreases. On average, with every
1,000 feet of increase in altitude, the atmospheric pressure decreases 1 “Hg. As
pressure decreases, the air becomes less dense or thinner. This is the equivalent of
being at a higher altitude and is referred to as density altitude. As pressure
decreases, density altitude increases and has a pronounced effect on aircraft
performance.

Differences in air density caused by changes in temperature result in a change in


pressure. This, in turn, creates motion in the atmosphere, both vertically and
horizontally, in the form of currents and wind. The atmosphere is almost constantly in
motion as it strives to reach equilibrium. These never-ending air movements set up
chain reactions that cause a continuing variety in the weather.

Altitude and Flight


Altitude affects every aspect of flight from aircraft performance to human
performance. At higher altitudes, with a decreased atmospheric pressure, takeoff
and landing distances are increased, while climb rates decrease.

When an aircraft takes off, lift is created by the flow of air around the wings. If the air
is thin, more speed is required to obtain enough lift for takeoff; therefore, the ground
run is longer. An aircraft that requires 745 feet of ground run at sea level requires
more than double that at a pressure altitude of 8,000 feet. [Figure 12-9]. It is also
true that at higher altitudes, due to the decreased density of the air, aircraft engines
and propellers are less efficient. This leads to reduced rates of climb and a greater
ground run for obstacle clearance.
How to Calculate Atmospheric Pressure
The Mercury Barometer
Immerse a glass tube with a closed end in a tray of mercury and allow all the air to
escape, then turn the tube upright with the opening submerged in the mercury.
You'll have a column of mercury inside the tube and a vacuum between the top of
the column and the end of the tube. The pressure exerted by the atmosphere on
the mercury in the tray is supporting the column, so the height of the column is a
way to measure atmospheric pressure. If the tube is graduated in millimeters, the
height of the column will be approximately 760 mm, depending on atmospheric
conditions. This is the definition of 1 atmosphere of pressure.

Mercury is a fluid, so you can calculate the pressure needed to support the column
by using the equation P = ∂gh. In this equation, ∂ is the density of mercury and h is
the height of the column. In SI (metric) units, one atmosphere is equal to 101,325
Pa (Pascals), and in British units, it's equal to 14.696 psi (pounds per square inch).
The torr is another unit of atmospheric pressure originally defined to be equal to 1
mm Hg. Its current definition is 1 torr = 133.32 Pa. One atmosphere = 760 torr.

The Barometric Formula


Although you can't derive atmospheric pressure at sea level from the total height of
the atmosphere, you can calculate changes in air pressure from one height to
another. This fact, along with other considerations, including the ideal gas law, lead
to an exponential relationship between the sea level pressure (P 0) and pressure at
height h (Ph). This relationship, known as the barometric formula, is:

Ph = P0e-mgh/kT

 m = mass of one air molecule


 g = acceleration due to gravity
 k = Boltzmann's constant (ideal gas constant divided by Avogadro's number)
 T = temperature

Although this equation predicts pressures at various heights, its predictions differ
from observation. For example, it predicts a pressure of 25 torr at a height of 30 km
(19 mi), but the observed pressure at that height is only 9.5 torr. The discrepancy is
primarily due to the fact that temperatures are colder at higher elevations.

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