Name Date Class

Air Pressure
Guide for ir consistsof atoms and moleculesthat havemass.Therefore,air has
Reading mass.Becauseair has mass, it also has other properties, includ-
ing density and pressure. The amount of mass in a given volume of a
I Whataresomeof substanceis calledthe density of the substance.The force pressingon an
thepropertiesof
ajtr? areaor surfaceis calledpressure.Air pressure is the result of the weight
of a column of air pushing down on an area.The moleculesin air push
I Whatinstruments
areusedlo mea- in all directions.This is why air pressuredoesn'tcrushpeopleor objects.
sureairpressure? Falling air pressure usually indicates that a storm is approaching.
t Howdoesincreas- Rising air pressure usually means that the weather is clearing. A
ingaltitudeatfect barometer is an instrument that measureschangesin air pressure.There
airpressureand are two kinds of barometers: mercury barometers and aneroid
density? barometers. A mercury barometer consistsof a glasstube open at the
bottom end and partially filled with mercury. The open end of the tube
restsin a dish of mercury, and the spaceabovethe mercury in the tube
contains no air. The air pressurepushing down on the surface of the
mercury in the dish is equal to the weight of the column of mercury in
the tube. At sealevel, the mercury column is about 76 centimetershigh,
on average.An aneroidbarometer consistsof an airtight metal box that
is sensitiveto changesin air pressure.The thin walls of the box flex in and
out as air pressurechanges,and the movementsare recordedon a dial.
In weather reports, air pressureusually is given in inches of mercury.
National weather service maps indicate air pressurein millibars. one
inch of mercury equalsapproximately 33.9millibars.
Altitude, or elevation, is the distance above sea level. Air pressure
decreases as altitude increases. As air pressur decreases, so does
density. sea-levelair hasthe weight of the whole atmospherepressingon
o
1'
it, so air pressureis highest at sealevel.Air pressureis much lower at the o
=
o
tops of mountains. There the low density of air can make it hard to o
breathebecausethere is lessoxygenin eachcubic meter of air. -
-g

22 c I TeachingResources Weatherand Climate

 Name Date Class
I

Air Pressure
l) Understanding Main ldeas
Study thefigure below,and then completethefollowing statements.

l. Altitude is greaterat point

2. Air pressureis greaterat point

3. Density of the air is greaterat point

4. A cubic meter of air has lessmassat point

of orygenin the air at point A is

5. The percentage
percent.

Answerthefollowing questionson a separatesheetof paper.

6. Statethree propertiesof air.

7.'Nhy doesn'tair pressurecrush peopleor things?

8. What two units are used to measureair pressure?

t Building Vocabulary
Match eachterm with its deflnition by writing the letter of the correctdefinition on
the line besidethe term.
C)

(5 9. air pressure a. the amount of massin a given volume of a

- substance
o)
F 10. altitude
c) b. the force pressingon an areaor surface
(L
t\ 11. aneroidbarometer c. the result of the weight of a column of air
pushing down on an area
12. barometer d. any instrument that measureschangesin air
pressure
13. density
e. instrument that measureschangesin air
14. mercury barometer pressureusing a liquid
f. the distanceabovesealevel
15. pressure
g. instrument that measureschangesin air
pressurewithout using a liquid

Weatherand Climate T e a c h i nR
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