The barometric formula is a formula used to model how the pressure (or density) of the air

changes with altitude.

Pressure equations[edit]
See also: Atmospheric pressure

Pressure as a function of the height above the sea

level
There are two equations for computing pressure as a function of height. The first equation is
applicable to the standard model of the troposphere in which the temperature is assumed to vary

with altitude at a lapse rate of :

The second equation is applicable to the standard model of the stratosphere in which the
temperature is assumed not to vary[citation needed] with altitude:

where:

 = reference pressure

 = reference temperature (K)

 = temperature lapse rate (K/m) in ISA

 = height at which pressure is calculated (m)

 = height of reference level b (meters; e.g., hb = 11 000 m)

 = universal gas constant: 8.3144598 J/(mol·K)

 = gravitational acceleration: 9.80665 m/s2

 = molar mass of Earth's air: 0.0289644 kg/mol

Or converted to imperial units:[1]
where:

 = reference pressure

 = reference temperature (K)

 = temperature lapse rate (K/ft) in ISA

 = height at which pressure is calculated (ft)

 = height of reference level b (feet; e.g., hb = 36,089 ft)

 = universal gas constant; using feet, kelvins, and (SI) moles: 8.9494596×104 lb·ft2/(lb-
mol·K·s )
2

 = gravitational acceleration: 32.17405 ft/s2

 = molar mass of Earth's air: 28.9644 lb/lb-mol

The value of subscript b ranges from 0 to 6 in accordance with each of seven successive layers of
the atmosphere shown in the table below. In these equations, g0, M and R* are each single-valued
constants, while P, L, T, and h are multivalued constants in accordance with the table below. The
values used for M, g0, and R* are in accordance with the U.S. Standard Atmosphere, 1976, and the
value for R* in particular does not agree with standard values for this constant.[2] The reference value
for Pb for b = 0 is the defined sea level value, P0 = 101 325 Pa or 29.92126 inHg. Values of Pb of b =
1 through b = 6 are obtained from the application of the appropriate member of the pair equations 1
and 2 for the case when h = hb+1.[2]