Thread: Math mixed with Science: How High Is The Sky

i'm really stumpted on this one.

Here is the Question:

If the normal atmospheric pressure is 101.3kPA ( Thousand Pascals ) and assume that the desity of air is 0.0013g/cm3 is everywhere throughout the atmosphere, estimate the height of the sky.

Any suggestions would be appreciated. Please explain to me your steps and thinking process. :-D

Consider a collumn of air in the shape of a very tall oblong box 1cm by 1cm by a height h which is the height of the atmosphere. Now the pressure at the bottom is simply the weight of the air (mass times g = 980 cm/s^2), divided by the area of the bottom of the box 1cm^2. That is the formula P=F/A , pressure equals force divided by area (weight is a force).

Cant you just use Stevins law for this one?

p = [density] * [height] * [gravity acceleration]

[height] = p / [density] * [gravity acceleration]

Originally Posted by Ultrashogun

Cant you just use Stevins law for this one?

p = [density] * [height] * [gravity acceleration]

[height] = p / [density] * [gravity acceleration]

Of course you can.

P = F/A = (mass * grav accel) / A = (mass / A) * (grav accel)
= (mass /(A * height)) * height *(grav accel)
= (mass/volume)* height*(grav accel)
= density * height * (grav accel).