Questions on Atmospheric Pressure
Multiple-Choice Questions – Atmospheric Pressure
1. What causes atmospheric pressure?
A) Friction between air molecules
B) The rotation of the Earth
C) The weight of the air above a surface
D) The Earth's magnetic field
E) Sunlight energy
2. At sea level, the standard atmospheric pressure is:
A) 1.0 mmHg
B) 760 atm
C) 101.3 kPa
D) 10 Pa
E) 0.001 atm
3. Which instrument is used to measure atmospheric pressure?
A) Thermometer
B) Barometer
C) Altimeter
D) Anemometer
E) Hydrometer
4. As altitude increases, atmospheric pressure:
A) Increases
B) Stays the same
C) Decreases
D) Disappears completely
E) Doubles
5. Atmospheric pressure is highest:
A) At the top of a mountain
B) At sea level
C) In an airplane
D) On a satellite in orbit
E) Inside a vacuum chamber
6. Which of the following units can be used to express atmospheric pressure?
A) Joules
B) Liters
C) Kilopascals
D) Kelvin
E) Meters per second
7. 1 atm is equivalent to how many mmHg?
A) 1013 mmHg
B) 100 mmHg
C) 760 mmHg
D) 273 mmHg
E) 1 mmHg
8. A drop in atmospheric pressure usually indicates:
A) A heatwave
B) Clear skies
C) A storm is approaching
D) A snowstorm has passed
E) Higher altitude
9. Why do humans have difficulty breathing at high altitudes?
A) There is more pollution
B) The atmospheric pressure is lower
C) The air is warmer
D) There is more nitrogen
E) The gravity is weaker
10. Which of these best describes a barometer?
A) Measures temperature
B) Measures gas speed
C) Measures atmospheric pressure
D) Measures humidity
E) Measures oxygen levels
11. What would happen to a balloon taken to the top of a mountain?
A) It would burst due to high pressure
B) It would stay the same size
C) It would shrink slightly
D) It would expand due to lower external pressure
E) It would freeze and collapse
12. Which gas law supports the relationship between pressure and altitude?
A) Boyle’s Law
B) Charles’s Law
C) Gay-Lussac’s Law
D) Dalton’s Law
E) None of the above
13. The Earth's atmosphere exerts pressure in which direction?
A) Downward only
B) Upward only
C) Sideways only
D) In all directions
E) Only in a vacuum
14. What happens to the boiling point of water at higher altitudes?
A) It increases
B) It stays the same
C) It becomes unpredictable
D) It decreases
E) It turns into a solid
15. Atmospheric pressure can be defined as:
A) The energy of air particles
B) The mass of air per volume
C) The force exerted by air per unit area
D) The speed of air flow
E) The electrical charge in air
16. When using a mercury barometer, atmospheric pressure is read as:
A) The volume of air
B) The height of the mercury column
C) The mass of mercury
D) The temperature difference
E) The time taken for mercury to rise
17. Which of the following is not a factor affecting atmospheric pressure?
A) Altitude
B) Temperature
C) Humidity
D) Wind speed
E) Volume of the container
18. Atmospheric pressure at sea level in pascals is approximately:
A) 100 Pa
B) 760 Pa
C) 101,325 Pa
D) 273 Pa
E) 1,000 Pa
19. Which gas contributes most to atmospheric pressure?
A) Oxygen
B) Carbon dioxide
C) Water vapor
D) Nitrogen
E) Helium
20. What is the approximate value of 1 atm in kilopascals?
A) 760 kPa
B) 273 kPa
C) 10.13 kPa
D) 101.3 kPa
E) 1.0 kPa
Answers and Explanations
1. C – Atmospheric pressure is due to the weight of the air above a surface.
2. C – Standard atmospheric pressure at sea level is 101.3 kPa.
3. B – A barometer measures atmospheric pressure.
4. C – Atmospheric pressure decreases as altitude increases.
5. B – Pressure is highest at sea level, where the air column is largest.
6. C – Atmospheric pressure is measured in kilopascals (kPa), among other units.
7. C – 1 atm = 760 mmHg.
8. C – A drop in pressure often precedes stormy weather.
9. B – At high altitudes, lower pressure means less oxygen is available.
10. C – A barometer measures atmospheric pressure.
11. D – Lower external pressure at high altitudes allows the balloon to expand.
12. A – Boyle’s Law helps explain pressure–volume relationships.
13. D – Atmospheric pressure acts in all directions.
14. D – At higher altitudes, water’s boiling point decreases.
15. C – Pressure = force per unit area.
16. B – In a mercury barometer, pressure is indicated by the height of mercury.
17. E – Volume of a container doesn't affect atmospheric pressure (it's external).
18. C – 1 atm ≈ 101,325 Pa.
19. D – Nitrogen makes up ~78% of the atmosphere and contributes most to its pressure.
20. D – 1 atm = 101.3 kPa.
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