MadSci Network: Other
Query:

Re: Why isn't the barometer taken outside to measure the air pressure?

Date: Sun May 10 15:42:04 1998
Posted By: David Winsemius, MadSci Admin
Area of science: Other
ID: 894272901.Ot
Message:

Well,  the simple answer is that the barometric pressure inside is the same as 
it is outside. Think about what pressure differences cause... Wind. If the 
pressures were different, your doors would either blow open as soon as you 
unlatched them or they would be pushed shut as they started to get nearly 
closed. This doesn't generally happen. Even in windy weather, you will usually 
find that the blowing-open effect is limited to one side of a building, not 
because the barometric pressure is different.

The more interesting way of dealing with this is to EXPERIMENT. Take the 
barometer outside and compare it with the inside reading on each of 10 days. 
Keep the barometer out of the sun so that it won't be heated which will expand 
the air in the sealed part of the mechanism.  Compare the inside and outside 
pressures with a table or graph.

David Winsemius, MD



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