Chemistry / Unit 7 Chem 1213 short lesson, about 20 seconds
Barometer
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The idea
A barometer measures atmospheric pressure from the height of a liquid column that atmospheric pressure alone supports in a closed, inverted tube.
In practice
Mercury's high density lets a barometer stand about 760 millimeters tall at sea level, far shorter than a water barometer would need.
Where people slip
A barometer measures the surrounding atmosphere's pressure, not the pressure of a gas trapped in any separate container.
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