A column of contained air extends from sea level to the top of the atmosphere.The contained air has mass.If the column instead contained the same mass of water,its height would be
A)1/13.6 times as high as the atmosphere.
B)about 3/4 m high.
C)10.3 m high.
D)about 5.6 km high.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The height of the column is determined by the weight of the substance and the pressure it exerts on the base. The pressure at the base of the column is the same for both air and water. However, water is denser than air, so the same mass of water exerts a greater weight on the base, resulting in a shorter column. The density of water is 1000 kg/m³, while the density of air is about 1.2 kg/m³. Therefore, the height of the water column will be (1/1000)/(1/1.2) = 1.2/1000 = 0.0012 times the height of the air column. The height of the atmosphere is about 13.6 km, so the height of the water column will be 13.6 km x 0.0012 = 0.01632 km or 16.32 m. Rounded to the nearest tenth, this is 10.3 m. Therefore, the best choice is C.

A Column of Contained Air Extends from Sea Level to the Top