To define and describe the concept of air pressure.
To explain the meaning of pressure balance.
To list the types of barometers.
To describe the principles of the mercury and aneroid barometers, listing
their respective advantages.
To list typical values and the observed extreme ranges of surface barometric
pressure.
To describe why and how the pressure changes with increasing altitude in
the earth's atmosphere, ranging from the earth's surface to a height of
several hundred kilometers.
To explain why station pressure readings are "reduced" to mean sea level.
To explain the fundamental causes for the difference between surface high
and low atmospheric pressure cells.
To explain the significance of air pressure tendency for local weather
forecasting.
To describe how altitude can be determined from a pressure altimeter.
Outline:
A. INTRODUCTION
A practical problem
B. BASIC CONCEPTS - ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE
What is Pressure?
Importance of Air Pressure
C. BAROMETRY
The Science of Barometry
Types of Barometers
Mercury Barometers
Aneroid Barometers
Placement of Barometers
Pressure Units
D. THE CLIMATOLOGY OF ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE
Spatial Variation in Atmospheric Pressure
Variation of Pressure with Time
Variation of Atmospheric Pressure with Height
E. ALTIMETRY - A SPECIAL APPLICATION
The altimeter
The background
Links to Other References:
Educational resource unit (K-12) on air pressure from Nebraska Earth Science
Education Network (NESEN):
Last revision 7 June 2000 (1918 UTC)
Produced by Edward J. Hopkins, Ph.D.
Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences
University of Wisconsin-Madison Madison, WI 53706
hopkins@meteor.wisc.edu