Chapter 2, Problem 2.13P

Interpretation Introduction

Interpretation: The pressure at the summit of the Mount Everest is to be determined by applying the barometric equation.

Concept introduction: The barometric equation can be applied in order to determine the pressure at a particular height or height for a given pressure.

The barometric equation can be given as,

  $\frac{{\text{p}}_{\text{b}}}{{\text{p}}_{\text{a}}}\text{=}\text{exp}\left(\frac{{\text{-gM(Z}}_{\text{b}}{\text{-Z}}_{\text{a}}\text{)}}{\text{RT}}\right)\text{}\text{}\text{}\text{}\text{}\text{}\text{}\text{}\text{}\text{}\text{}\text{}\text{}\text{}\text{}\text{}\text{}\text{}\text{}\text{}\text{}\text{}\text{}\text{}\text{}\text{}\text{}\text{}\text{}\text{}\text{}\text{}\text{}\text{}\text{}\text{}\text{}\text{}\text{}\text{}\text{}\text{}\text{}\text{}\text{}\text{}\mathrm{......}\text{(1)}$

  $\begin{array}{l}{\text{p}}_{\text{a}}\text{}\text{= }\text{}\text{Pressure }\text{}\text{at }\text{}\text{the }\text{}\text{surface}\text{of}\text{earth}\\ {\text{p}}_{\text{b}}\text{=}\text{Pressure }\text{}\text{at }\text{}\text{a}\text{particular}\text{height}\text{from}\text{the}\text{}\text{surface}\text{of}\text{earth}\\ \text{g = Acceleration due to gravity = 9}{\text{.8 m/s}}^{\text{2}}\\ \text{M=Molecular }\text{}\text{weight }\text{}\text{of }\text{}\text{air}\text{=}\text{0}\text{.029}\text{kg/mol}\\ \text{R=Universal gas constant }\text{}\text{= 8}\text{.314 J/mol}\text{.K}\\ \text{T=Temperature of earth's atmosphere}\\ {\text{Z}}_{\text{a}}\text{ =}\text{Height}\text{at}\text{earth's}\text{surface}\\ {\text{Z}}_{\text{b}}\text{=}\text{Height}\text{of}\text{the}\text{summit}\text{of}\text{Mount}\text{Everest}\end{array}$