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Q10.1(b):
Explain why (b) Atmospheric pressure at a height of about 6 km decreases to nearly half of its value at the sea level, though the height of the atmosphere is more than 100 km

Solution :

1. Theoretical Foundation: The Barometric Law

The variation of atmospheric pressure ($P$) with altitude ($h$) is not linear because the atmosphere is a compressible fluid. According to the Barometric Formula, pressure decreases exponentially with height:

$P(h) = P_0 e^{-Mgh/RT}$

Where:

  • $P_0$ = Pressure at sea level.
  • $M$ = Molar mass of air ($\approx 0.029 \text{ kg/mol}$).
  • $g$ = Acceleration due to gravity ($\approx 9.8 \text{ m/s}^2$).
  • $R$ = Universal gas constant ($\approx 8.314 \text{ J/mol}\cdot\text{K}$).
  • $T$ = Absolute temperature of the atmosphere.

2. The Effect of Compressibility

Unlike incompressible fluids (like water), air is highly compressible. The density ($\rho$) of the atmosphere is directly proportional to the pressure ($P$) by the Ideal Gas Law ($PV = nRT \implies \rho = \frac{PM}{RT}$).

As we move to higher altitudes:

  1. Pressure ($P$) decreases.
  2. Consequently, density ($\rho$) decreases significantly.
  3. Because the air is much denser near the surface, the bulk of the earth's atmosphere mass is concentrated in the lowest layers. [Per the Law of Hydrostatic Equilibrium: $\frac{dP}{dh} = -\rho g$].

3. Mathematical Analysis of the Half-Pressure Altitude

To find the height $h$ where pressure drops to half ($P = 0.5P_0$), we set up the following equation:

$0.5 P_0 = P_0 e^{-Mgh/RT}$

$0.5 = e^{-Mgh/RT}$

Taking the natural logarithm ($\ln$) on both sides:

$\ln(0.5) = -\frac{Mgh}{RT}$

$-0.693 = -\frac{Mgh}{RT} \implies h = \frac{0.693 RT}{Mg}$

Substituting standard values ($T \approx 273\text{K}$), we find $h \approx 5.6 \text{ to } 6 \text{ km}$.

4. Visual Representation of Atmospheric Density Gradient

Altitude (h) Pressure (P) Exp. Decay P = 0.5Pâ‚€

5. Logical Synthesis

The atmosphere does not have a sharp upper boundary; rather, it "thins out" gradually toward the vacuum of space. Because the air near the surface is compressed by the weight of all the air above it, approximately 50% of the total mass of the atmosphere is contained within the first 6 km (the lowest part of the troposphere). The remaining 50% of the mass is spread out over the vast region from 6 km to beyond 100 km, where the density is extremely low. Thus, the pressure drops rapidly at first and very slowly thereafter.

Final Solution: Atmospheric pressure decreases exponentially due to the compressibility of air and the concentration of 50% of the Earth's atmospheric mass within the first 6 km of the troposphere, resulting in a rapid initial decline followed by a long, thin tail extending beyond 100 km.


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