Express 1184 torr in units of mmHg, atm, and kPa.
Rank the following pressures from lowest to highest: (a) 736 mmHg, (b) 0.928 atm, (c) 728 torr, (d) 1.12 × 105 Pa.
Would it be easier to drink water with a straw on top or at the foot of Mt. Everest?
The Correct Answer and Explanation is :
Conversions for 1184 torr
- In mmHg: ( 1 \, \text{torr} = 1 \, \text{mmHg} )
[ 1184 \, \text{torr} = 1184 \, \text{mmHg} ] - In atm: ( 1 \, \text{atm} = 760 \, \text{torr} )
[ 1184 \, \text{torr} \times \frac{1 \, \text{atm}}{760 \, \text{torr}} = 1.557 \, \text{atm} ] - In kPa: ( 1 \, \text{atm} = 101.325 \, \text{kPa} )
[ 1184 \, \text{torr} \times \frac{1 \, \text{atm}}{760 \, \text{torr}} \times 101.325 \, \text{kPa} = 157.8 \, \text{kPa} ]
Ranking Pressures from Lowest to Highest
- Convert all pressures to the same unit (e.g., mmHg or atm):
- (a) ( 736 \, \text{mmHg} = 736 \, \text{mmHg} )
- (b) ( 0.928 \, \text{atm} \times 760 \, \frac{\text{mmHg}}{\text{atm}} = 705.28 \, \text{mmHg} )
- (c) ( 728 \, \text{torr} = 728 \, \text{mmHg} )
- (d) ( 1.12 \times 10^5 \, \text{Pa} \times \frac{1 \, \text{atm}}{101325 \, \text{Pa}} \times 760 \, \frac{\text{mmHg}}{\text{atm}} = 840.4 \, \text{mmHg} ) Order (from lowest to highest): (b) < (c) < (a) < (d)
Drinking Water with a Straw: Top or Foot of Mt. Everest?
It is easier to drink water with a straw at the foot of Mt. Everest than at the top. This is due to atmospheric pressure differences. At the base of Everest, the atmospheric pressure is approximately ( 101 \, \text{kPa} ), while at the summit, it drops to about ( 33.7 \, \text{kPa} ). When you use a straw, you lower the air pressure inside your mouth, allowing the atmospheric pressure to push the liquid into the straw. The greater the external atmospheric pressure, the easier it is for the liquid to be pushed upward.
At high altitudes, the lower atmospheric pressure results in a smaller pressure differential when you create suction. This means less force is available to push the water up the straw, making it significantly harder to drink. Moreover, as the altitude increases, human lung strength remains constant, so the lower external pressure at higher altitudes limits the effective height a liquid can be lifted.