OCR GCSE Physics A J249
Electricity
Energy
Forces
Global Challenges
Magnetism and Magnetic Fields
Matter
Radioactivity
Waves in Matter
Matter
Atmospheric pressure and why it varies with height
- 3 things to know
- Paper 3
Overview
What the atmosphere is, what causes its pressure, the uniform density assumption, why air does not escape, where pressure is greatest, and why pressure and density fall with height.
What you need to know
Answer each one before you reveal it.
What causes atmospheric pressure?
In a simple model of the atmosphere, what is assumed about the density of the air?
Questions from this subtopic
Each one with the model answer underneath.
- 1
What is the atmosphere?
Model answer
A relatively thin layer of air surrounding the Earth and held to it by gravity.
- 2
What causes atmospheric pressure?
Model answer
Air molecules colliding with a surface, and the weight of the air above pressing down.
- 3
In a simple model of the atmosphere, what is assumed about the density of the air?
Model answer
The density is taken to be uniform throughout.
- 4
Why does the atmosphere not simply drift away into space?
Model answer
The Earth's gravity pulls the air molecules towards the surface and holds them there.
- 5
Whereabouts in the atmosphere is atmospheric pressure greatest?
Model answer
At the surface of the Earth, where the greatest depth of air lies above.
- 6
Does atmospheric pressure act only downwards?
Model answer
No, it acts in all directions, pushing at right angles on every surface it touches.
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