2.

AIR PRESSURE
(Atmospheric or Barometric Pressure)
 We don’t normally feel  atmospheric pressure 
unless it changes rapidly.  Our ears “pop”
 taking off in a plane

 diving in the sea/ocean

 driving up high  mountains

 Gravity- the force by which earth draws 

objects towards it center.

 Air in the atmosphere is made of many 

different gas molecules. (oxygen, carbon 
dioxide, nitrogen etc)
 When gravity acts on the air, the air exerts  a
force upon the earth called air pressure.
 In other words: Air pressure is the weight  of
air molecules pushing down on earth!
 AIR PRESSURE / Atmospheric or  Barometric Pressure

 Higher up in the  atmosphere- there

is less  molecules, so less weight
(pressure)

 Closer to the ground- there  are more

compact  molecules, so more 
pressure.
Instrument to measure pressure:  Barometer
 Pascal (Pa) is the (SI) derived unit for
pressure.