[SM SAINS MUZAFFAR SYAH]]

3.3

ACTIVITY 1:Idea of Gas Pressure

1. Use a bicycle pump to pump air into a deflated ball

(a) When air is pumped into a ball, what changes do

you observe in the ball?

__________________________________________

(b) How would you know when there is enough air in

the ball?

__________________________________________

__________________________________________

When you squeeze a ball filled with air, you will feel an
__________ force acting from the inside of the ball.

The force comes from billions and billions of air

molecules striking the inner wall of the ball.
The molecules are in constant ________ motion.
When the molecules _________ with the inner wall of the
ball, the force of collisions _________ the wall outwards.

The __________ exerted on the inner wall of the ball

results in the air / gas pressure in the ball.

The gas pressure in a container is caused by the

Explain __________ of gas molecules with the walls of the
gas container.
pressure Gas/Air pressure is the force exerted on a surface by air
molecules per unit area of the surface.
 [SM SAINS MUZAFFAR SYAH]]

Explain atmospheric pressure

Atmospheric pressure is the pressure caused by the _______ of the air

above us.
 Atmospheric pressure acts ___________ in all directions.
 Atmospheric pressure varies with the _________ of the object above
sea level. It _____________ with the altitude or the height above sea
level. At higher altitudes, the __________ and the temperature of the
air are lower. As a result, the frequency of __________ of the
molecules is lower. Hence, atmospheric pressure is __________.

ACTIVITY 2: Experiments to show the existence of the atmospheric pressure

1. Fill an empty plastic bottle with hot water until it is about a quarter full.
Tighten the cap immediately and wait for a few seconds.

Observation: _____________________________________________________
The _________ from the boiling water drives out the air from the plastic
bottle.
The cap prevents outside _______ from flowing into the bottle.
When cold water is poured on it, the steam inside the bottle __________ to
water and it forms partial __________ inside the bottle.
The atmospheric pressure outside which is _____________ then compress
the bottle.
 [SM SAINS MUZAFFAR SYAH]]

2. Fill a glass with water until it is almost full.

Place a cardboard over the glass. By
supporting the cardboard on the top of the
glass, slowly invert the glass. Slowly remove
the hand that is supporting the cardboard.

The cardboard ______________ and the water

___________________
The explanation for this phenomenon is that the
resultant force caused by the ____________
pressure acts on the surface of the cardboard is
________ than the weight of the water in the glass.

Describe the applications of atmospheric

pressure
1. Drinking Straw
 When drinking from a straw, one tends to
suck the straw. This causes the pressure
inside the straw _________.
 The outside atmospheric pressure is
_________ will then act on the surface of the
water in the glass, causing it to rise up the
straw.

2. A rubber sucker which is ________ onto a flat

smooth surface cannot be easily removed
from the surface.

 When the cup of the rubber sucker is leveled,

the ______ from the lower portion of the cup
will be crushed out
 A _____ pressure area will be formed in the
cup. A higher ___________ pressure will now
press the sucker firmly onto the surface.
3. Syringe

 When the piston of the syringe is pulled

upwards, a ______ pressure zone is created
within it.

 The _________ atmospheric pressure will push

the water into the syringe.
 [SM SAINS MUZAFFAR SYAH]]

5. Vacuum Cleaner

A fan sucks out the ________ from space

A . The pressure inside the vacuum
cleaner is ________.
The atmospheric pressure is ___________
than the pressure inside the vacuum
cleaner.
The dust and dirt is __________ into the
cleaner. The bag acts as a filter, stopping
the dust and dirt, but not the air.
4. Siphon
A siphon is very useful for removing
liquids from a tank or a fixed container.
For example, dirty water is sucked out of
an aquarium.
It consists of a tube which has been filled
with liquid and one end of it is placed in a
tank.

 The water pressure is the______________ as the atmospheric pressure at A,

B and C.
 The water pressure at D = atmospheric pressure + h ρ g
 The _________________water pressure causes water to flow out at D.
 This process will continue as long as both ends of tube are ___________
the water level

6. Pouring our condensed milk from its can

The presence of a second hole is to enable

_____ to flow into the can.
This results in the pressure of air in the can
_______ as the atmospheric pressure.
The atmospheric pressure will ___________
the milk out of the lower hole.
 [SM SAINS MUZAFFAR SYAH]]

Explain why the ‘Malaysia Boleh’

sticker sticks well to the helmet when
on the surface of the Earth but falls off
from the same helmet when the
astronaut stands on the surface of the
Moon.

Atmospheric Pressure Measuring Instrument

1. Mercury Barometer
Question 1 The barometer is made by filling a long glass tube
with mercury. The tube is then turned upside
down in a bow of mercury. The mercury level in
the tube will drop until a level h = 76 cm above the
mercury level in the bowl.

(a) Why the level does not drop further?

_______________________________________

(b) Pressure at A is due to the ________________

(c) Pressure at B is due to the _________________

(d) Pressure at C = ____

(e) Compare the pressure at A and B.

PA PB
Atmospheric pressure ______ Mercury Pressure

(f) If the density of the mercury is 1.36 x 104 kg m-3

At sea level: and the acceleration due to gravity is 10 ms-2,
Atmospheric pressure calculate the atmospheric pressure in pascal.

= ………………….. Pa

= ……………….. cm Hg
 [SM SAINS MUZAFFAR SYAH]]

= ………………. m water (g) What is the value of the atmospheric pressure

in cm Hg?
= …………. Atm

(h) What is the pressure at point x in cm Hg?

(i) The density of water is 1000 kg m-3. If a

barometer is made using water instead of
mercury, and a very long tube, how high is the
water column.

Question 2
If a mercury barometer were carried
up a mountain, how would you expect
the height of the mercury column to
change? Explain.

Question 3
The diagram shows a mercury barometer. Gas
X is trapped in a glass tube. If the vertical
height of the mercury level is 40 cm of Hg and
the atmospheric pressure is 75 cm Hg,
calculate the pressure exerted by the gas X
inside the tube.

2. Aneroid Barometer

An aneroid barometer consists of a

flexible metal can which most of the
air inside the can has been taken out
of it.
When the surrounding pressure
_________, the top of the can is
squeezed down slightly causing the
pointer to move along the curved
scale measuring the corresponding
pressure.
 [SM SAINS MUZAFFAR SYAH]]

Instruments for Measuring Gas Pressure and Atmospheric Pressure

1. Bourdon Gauge
The movement of a gas into the hollow
copper tube causes it to straighten
slightly.
A system of lever and gear will enable a
pointer to move along the round scale
indicating the pressure of the gas
measured.

2. Manometer
A manometer consists of a U-tube that is
filled with a liquid like water, oil or
mercury.
In figure (a) when both ends of the tube is
exposed to __________ pressure, both
levels are the same.

In figure (b) when one end is connected

to a gas supply, the difference in level, h
gives the pressure of the gas, P.

(a) What is the total pressure a point W?

(b) Compare the pressure at W and the

gas pressure.

(c) Write an equation that relate between

Patmopherice , Pmercury and Pgas.

Question 1
 [SM SAINS MUZAFFAR SYAH]]

Show the direction of Pgas , Patmospheric and Pmecury.

Given Patmospheric = 76 cm Hg dan h = 20 cm, find the value of Pgas

Pgas = ……………… Pgas = …………………

Pgas = ………………

Question 2 A mercury manometer with one end attached to a gas

supply measures a difference in the level of mercury
of 32 cm.
Calculate the pressure of the gas supply in
(a) cm Hg
(b) pascal
[Patmospheric = 76 cm Hg, g = 10 Nkg-1 density of
mercury = 1.36 x 104 kg m-3]

TUTORIAL 3.3
C. collide with one another in
elastic collisions and with the
1. Gas pressure exits because the
walls of the container in
gas molecules
D. collides with the wall of the
A. move randomly and freely
container produces change of
B. move at the same velocity
momentum
 [SM SAINS MUZAFFAR SYAH]]
2. Which one of the following pairs
of measuring instruments to
measure gas pressure is true?
A. Bourdon gauge and
manometer
B. Manometer and Fortin’s
barometer
C. Bourdon gauge and Fortin’
barometer
D. Fortin’s barometer Fortin and
Aneroid barometer
3. The figure shows a manometer
used to determine pressure in a
gas tank.
Which comparison is correct
about pressure in the gas tank
with the atmospheric pressure?
(2004)
A Pressure in the gas tank is
equal to the atmospheric
pressure
B Pressure in the gas tank is
greater than the atmospheric
pressure
C Pressure in the gas tank is
less than the atmospheric
pressure
4. The figure shows a manometer is
connected to a gas supply.
If the atmospheric pressure is 76
cm Hg determine the pressure of
the gas.
A 30 cm Hg B 46 cm Hg
C 76 cm Hg D 106 cm Hg
5. We do not experience the
atmospheric pressure at sea level
because
A. the atmospheric is very light
B. the density of atmospheric is
less than the density of our
body
C. the force exerted by the
atmospheric pressure is zero
D. the pressure of our body equal
to the atmospheric pressure
6. The figures show a simple
mercury barometer. Which one
shows the height, h, to be
measure to find atmospheric
pressure?
7. The figure shows a mercury
barometer.
 [SM SAINS MUZAFFAR SYAH]]

What happen to the height of h if

the glass tube is tilted ?
A decreases
B increases
C remains unchanged

8. Normally mercury is used in a

barometer because it is
A expands uniformly
B has a higher density
C has a higher boiling point
D does not stick to the glass tube

9. The figure shows a suction pump

being pressed against a smooth
wall. The pump sticks to the wall
when released.
11. The figure shows a mercury
barometer.

The pump sticks to the wall

because …. (2005)
A the atmospheric pressure is
equal to the pressure inside
the pump What is the pressure at point X?
B the atmospheric pressure is [ The atmospheric pressure = 75
less than the pressure inside cm Hg ]
the pump A 0 cm Hg B 65 cm Hg
C the atmospheric pressure is C 75cm Hg D 85 cm Hg
more than the pressure inside E 100 cm Hg
the pump
12. The figure shows a mercury
10. A suction pump is pulled upwards barometer.
to remove dirt from a blocked sink
pipe. Which diagram shows the
pressures correctly? (2008)
 [SM SAINS MUZAFFAR SYAH]]

If the vacuum space in the tube is 15. Diagram 10 shows a manometer

filled with gas X , what is the connected to a balloon.
pressure of gas X?
[ The atmospheric pressure = 75
cm Hg ]
A 0 cm Hg B 20 cm Hg
C 55 cm Hg D 75 cm Hg
E 95 cm Hg

13. Diagram below shows a simple

barometer. The difference in
height of the two mercury levels is
h. Diagram 10

What is the pressure, PB, inside

the balloon?
(ρ = density of mercury,
g = gravitational acceleration,
Patm = atmospheric pressure)

A. PB = hρg
B. PB = Patm – hρg
What happens to the value of h C. PB = Patm - hρg
when mercury is added to the
container? (2007) 17. The figure shows an
A. Increases arrangement of apparatus is
B. Decreases used to determine the
C. No change atmospheric pressure in a
laboratory. The length of the
14. Which of the following situations glass tube is 100 cm and the
only occurs due to atmospheric atmospheric pressure in the lab
pressure? (2007) is 75 cm Hg.
 [SM SAINS MUZAFFAR SYAH]]

(a) Name the apparatus as shown (iv) the surrounding

in the figure. temperature increases.

…………………………………… ………………………………

(b) Name the space P. (v) the apparatus is placed on

the top of a mountain.
……………………………………
………………………………
(c)(i) What is the value of h?
(vi) the space P in the tube is
……………………………………… filled with the little of
water.
(ii) Give one reason why
don’t the mercury column ………………………………
drops until it reaches the
level of the mercury in the
dish?

………………………………

………………………………

(d) Determine the pressure in

units cm Hg at point
3. (a) Why does the pressure in a
(i) J plane cabin which fly at a high
altitude must be maintained at
the atmospheric pressure at
(ii) K the sea level?

(e) What will happen to the value of h …………………………………….

if
(i) the tube is raised through a …………………………………….
height 10 cm
(b) What will happen if one of the
……………………………… plane wind screen broke
suddenly? Explain your
(ii) the tube is lowered through a answer.
depth of 5 cm
…………………………………….
…………………………….
…………………………………….
(iii) the glass tube is inclined about
50 from the vertical line. …………………………………….

………………………………