What is the total mass of the Earth's atmosphere? (The radius of the Earth is 6.4 × 10⁶ m,and atmospheric pressure at the surface is 10⁵ N/m². ) A)5 × 10¹⁶ kg B)1 × 10¹⁸ kg C)5 × 10¹⁸ kg D)1 × 10²⁰ kg

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

To find the total mass of the Earth's atmosphere, we need to multiply the atmospheric pressure at the surface by the surface area of the Earth.

Surface area of Earth = 4π(r^2) = 4π(6.4 × 10^6)^2 = 5.12 × 10^14 m^2
Atmospheric pressure at the surface = 10^5 N/m^2

Total mass of the Earth's atmosphere = pressure x area / acceleration due to gravity
= (10^5 N/m^2) x (5.12 × 10^14 m^2) / 9.81 m/s^2
= 5.25 × 10^18 kg

Therefore, the closest option to the actual value is C: 5 × 10^18 kg.

What Is the Total Mass of the Earth's Atmosphere? (The