27/12/2018 Barometric formula - Wikipedia

Barometric formula
The barometric formula, sometimes called the exponential atmosphere or isothermal atmosphere, is a formula
used to model how the pressure (or density) of the air changes with altitude. The pressure drops approximately by 11.3
Pa per meter in first 1000 meters above sea level.

Contents
Pressure equations
Density equations
Derivation
See also
References

Pressure equations
There are two different equations for computing pressure at
various height regimes below 86 km (or 278,400 feet). The
first equation is used when the value of standard temperature
lapse rate is not equal to zero:

The second equation is used when standard temperature Pressure as a function of the height above the
lapse rate equals zero: sea level

where:

= static pressure (Pa)

= standard temperature (K)
= standard temperature lapse rate (K/m) in ISA
= height above sea level (m)
= height at bottom of layer b (meters; e.g., h1 = 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

= static pressure (inches of mercury, inHg)

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= standard temperature (K)

= standard temperature lapse rate (K/ft) in ISA
= height above sea level (ft)
= height at bottom of layer b (feet; e.g., h1 = 36,089 ft)
= universal gas constant; using feet, kelvins, and (SI) moles: 8.9494596×104 lb·ft2/(lb-
mol·K·s2)
= 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]

Height above sea Standard Temperature lapse

Subscript Static pressure
level temperature rate
b
(m) (ft) (Pa) (inHg) (K) (K/m) (K/ft)
101
0 0 0 29.92126 288.15 -0.0065 -0.0019812
325.00
1 11 000 36,089 22 632.10 6.683245 216.65 0.0 0.0
2 20 000 65,617 5474.89 1.616734 216.65 0.001 0.0003048
3 32 000 104,987 868.02 0.2563258 228.65 0.0028 0.00085344
4 47 000 154,199 110.91 0.0327506 270.65 0.0 0.0
5 51 000 167,323 66.94 0.01976704 270.65 -0.0028 -0.00085344
6 71 000 232,940 3.96 0.00116833 214.65 -0.002 -0.0006096

Density equations
The expressions for calculating density are nearly identical to calculating pressure. The only difference is the exponent
in Equation 1.

There are two different equations for computing density at various height regimes below 86 geometric km (84 852
geopotential meters or 278 385.8 geopotential feet). The first equation is used when the value of standard temperature
lapse rate is not equal to zero; the second equation is used when standard temperature lapse rate equals zero.

Equation 1:

Equation 2:

where

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= mass density (kg/m3)

= standard temperature (K)
= standard temperature lapse rate (see table below) (K/m) in ISA
= height above sea level (geopotential meters)
= universal gas constant for air: 8.3144598 N·m/(mol·K)
= gravitational acceleration: 9.80665 m/s2
= molar mass of Earth's air: 0.0289644 kg/mol

or, converted to English gravitational foot-pound-second units:[1]

= mass density (slug/ft3)

= standard temperature (K)
= standard temperature lapse rate (K/ft)
= height above sea level (geopotential feet)
= universal gas constant: 8.9494596×104 ft2/(s·K)
= gravitational acceleration: 32.17405 ft/s2
= molar mass of Earth's air: 0.0289644 kg/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. The reference value for ρb for b = 0 is the defined sea level value, ρ0 = 1.2250 kg/m3 or
0.0023768908 slug/ft3. Values of ρb 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]

In these equations, g0, M and R* are each single-valued constants, while ρ, L, T and h are multi-valued 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 that the value for R* in particular does not agree with standard values for this constant.[2]

Height Above Sea Mass Density ( ) Standard Temperature Lapse

Subscript Level (h) Rate (L)
Temperature (T')
b
(K)
(m) (ft) (kg/m3) (slugs/ft3) (K/m) (K/ft)

2.3768908 x
0 0 0 1.2250 288.15 -0.0065 -0.0019812
10−3
7.0611703 x
1 11 000 36,089.24 0.36391 216.65 0.0 0.0
10−4
1.7081572 x
2 20 000 65,616.79 0.08803 216.65 0.001 0.0003048
10−4
2.5660735 x
3 32 000 104,986.87 0.01322 228.65 0.0028 0.00085344
10−5
2.7698702 x
4 47 000 154,199.48 0.00143 270.65 0.0 0.0
10−6
1.6717895 x
5 51 000 167,322.83 0.00086 270.65 -0.0028 -0.00085344
10−6
1.2458989 x
6 71 000 232,939.63 0.000064 214.65 -0.002 -0.0006096
10−7

Derivation
The barometric formula can be derived fairly easily using the ideal gas law:

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27/12/2018 Barometric formula - Wikipedia

When density is known:

And assuming that all pressure is hydrostatic:

Dividing the by the expression we get:

Integrating this expression from the surface to the altitude z we get:

Assuming constant temperature, molar mass, and gravitational acceleration, we get the barometric formula:

In this formulation, R* is the gas constant, and the term R*T/Mg gives the scale height (approximately equal to 8.4 km
for the troposphere).

(For exact results, it should be remembered that atmospheres containing water do not behave as an ideal gas. See real
gas or perfect gas or gas for further understanding.)

See also
Hypsometric equation
NRLMSISE-00
Vertical pressure variation

References
1. Mechtly, E. A., 1973: The International System of Units, Physical Constants and Conversion Factors. NASA SP-
7012, Second Revision, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Washington, D.C.
2. U.S. Standard Atmosphere
(https://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/19770009539_1977009539.pdf), 1976, U.S. Government
Printing Office, Washington, D.C., 1976. (Linked file is 17 Mb)

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