The radius of the Earth is 6400 km - AQA - GCSE Physics - Question 6 - 2022 - Paper 1
Question 6
The radius of the Earth is 6400 km.
Which of the following could be an approximate depth of the Earth’s atmosphere?
Tick (✓) one box.
100 km
6400 km
100 000 km
64... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:The radius of the Earth is 6400 km - AQA - GCSE Physics - Question 6 - 2022 - Paper 1
Step 1
Which of the following could be an approximate depth of the Earth’s atmosphere?
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Answer
The approximate depth of the Earth's atmosphere is best represented by 100 km.
Step 2
What state of matter is most of the Earth’s atmosphere?
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Answer
The majority of the Earth’s atmosphere is composed of gas.
Step 3
Determine the atmospheric pressure at the top of Scafell Pike.
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Answer
Referring to Figure 12, the atmospheric pressure at a height of 978 m is approximately 90 000 Pa.
Step 4
Determine the difference between the atmospheric pressure at sea level and at the top of Scafell Pike.
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Answer
The difference in atmospheric pressure = 101 000 Pa - 90 000 Pa = 11 000 Pa.
Step 5
Why does the atmospheric pressure decrease as the student climbs higher?
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Answer
The atmospheric pressure decreases because:
The density of the air decreases.
The mass of air above the student decreases.
Step 6
Calculate the atmospheric pressure at the surface of the lake.
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Answer
Using the equation pressure = force / area, the atmospheric pressure at the surface of the lake is calculated as follows:
ext{pressure} = rac{188000000 ext{ N}}{2000 ext{ m}^2} = 94 000 ext{ Pa}.
