Atmospheric pressure

• Earth's atmosphere


  Thin layer of gases that surrounds our entire planet
• Composition of atmosphere


  • Nitrogen
  • Oxygen
  • Greenhouse gases
  • Ozone layer
• Density of gas particles is highest near the earth's surface and the pressure gets smaller and smaller the further away from the earth you get
• Atmospheric pressure


  1. Density of gas particles decreases as you get further away from the earth

  2. Pressure also decreases the higher up you go
• Comparing an object at sea level to the same object at 1,000 meters up


  Object at sea level has more air particles around it, resulting in more collisions with the surface and greater force/pressure
• Pressure equation


  Bigger force means bigger pressure
• Object at sea level


  Feels much more pressure due to the weight of all the gas particles above it
• Object at 1,000 meters up


  Has fewer particles above it, so the force of weight is smaller
• Change in pressure as you get higher up in the atmosphere is the reason why mountain climbers have to carry oxygen cylinders - the air is so thin that there's not enough oxygen to breathe