Thursday 30 October 2014

What is Barometric Pressure ?

What is Barometric Pressure ?
Barometric pressure (also known as atmospheric pressure) is the force exerted by the atmosphere at a given point.  It is known as the "weight of the air". A barometer measures barometric pressure.  Measurement of barometric pressure can be expressed in millibars(mb) or in inches or millimeters of mercury (Hg). Normal pressure at sea level is 1013.3 millibars or 29.92 inches of mercury.  Fluctuations in barometric pressure are usually a sign of weather conditions. A rise in pressure usually means improving weather while falling pressure may reflect impending inclement weather.  Barometric pressures will also vary with altitude and moisture.

Constituents of the Air

The constituents of dry air can be expressed as volume percentages, which will translate to the partial pressures out of the total atmospheric pressure

Since a mole of any ideal gas occupies the same volume, it follows that the volume percentage is also the percentage by number. The average molecular mass can then be found by weighting the masses by their volume percentages above

Barometric

The barometric pressure is the reading given by a barometer. A barometer is used for determining atmospheric air pressure. The pressure is not constant; it will change depending on the altitude and the weather.
How Air Pressured is Measured
The units of measurement used are inches of  millibars and mercury. Inches of mercury are used by meteorologists to make weather reports. The millibars are used to evaluate the pressure aloft and assessing the weather. The standard pressure in millibars is 1013.2. In inches of mercury the average is 29.92.
Aneroid and Mercury Barometers
These are the instruments used to measure air pressure. A mercury barometer has a vacuum tube in a mercury dish. When the atmospheric pressure goes up, air is pushed downward in the dish.
From the tube the mercury goes into the dish. This makes the mercury rise. When air pressure goes down, the air is carried off the mercury. It departs the vacuum tube and goes back to the dish. The height is gauged in inches.
An aneroid barometer is configured differently. A thin metal cell is set up around a vacuum. One of the metal sides is connected to the device. The other is hooked up to levers and gears. These can move the pointer. When air pressure pushes the cell, the needle starts to move.
How Altitude Affects Barometric Pressure
At sea level, the atmosphere is greater over you compared to a higher altitude. Pressure is very strong at sea level and goes down as the altitude goes up. The pressure goes down an inch of mercury for every 1,000 feet increase in altitude. This equals to about 1 millibar of pressure for every 8 meters of increase in altitude.
Density and Temperature
Air mass density influences the atmospheric pressure. If the air mass is dense, the pressure is higher. If the air is not dense, the air pressure is lower. Warm air is not as dense as cool air. That is the reason why warm air goes up and cool air does not. Altitude and temperature interact, and so they affect air pressure.
Facts about High Pressure Systems
In a high pressure system, air sinks and goes down in an area. As the air goes down, warming occurs just over the dew point. In high pressure systems, clouds rarely form. High pressure moves counterclockwise in the southern hemisphere and clockwise in the northern hemisphere.
Facts about Low Pressure Systems
Low pressure systems usually herald a storm. Air goes up in a low pressure system, taking evaporated moisture from the ground. As air goes up, the air cools, reaching the dew point.
The air is condensed and turns into clouds. The clouds get heavy and become storms. They can also turn into hurricanes. Low pressure systems run clockwise in the southern hemisphere and counterclockwise in the northern hemisphere.
Barometric pressure is affected by several factors, from the weather to altitude levels. Although it is something people can take for granted, it has a direct influence on life, as it can determine whether the climate will be sunny or stormy.

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