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Barometers

Barometers can be used to predict the weather. They measure changes


in atmospheric pressure over time.

Differences in pressure are seen on weather forecast maps as a pattern


of isobars. These changes in pressure are used to make predictions and, if
used with wind readings, are reasonably accurate.
Many traditional barometers contain mercury. The mercury
is in a long glass tube with an open reservoir at the
bottom:

•higher atmospheric pressure exerts a downward force


on the mercury in the reservoir - and pushes the
mercury up the tube

•lower atmospheric pressure cannot hold up the weight


of the mercury column as effectively - so the mercury
moves lower down the tube

Atmospheric pressure forces mercury into a glass tube


Pressure differences

When we measure the pressure of gases, like that of the air in car
tyres, we usually make this measurement relative to normal air
pressure. That is, we calculate the difference between the
pressure in the tyre and the pressure exerted by our
atmosphere. Liquids can also be measured against normal air
pressure.

A manometer measures the pressure acting on a column of fluid.


It is made from a U-shaped tube of liquid in which the difference
in pressure acting on the two straight sections of the tube causes
the liquid to reach different heights in the two arms.

The pressure difference can then be calculated by using the


following equation:
pressure difference = height × density × g
p=h×p×g

Measuring pressure with a U-shaped tube

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