A pressure that will support a column of Hg to a height of 256 mm would support a column of water to what height? The density of mercury is 13.6 g/cm³; the density of water is 1.00 g/cm³. A) 348 cm B) 1.00 × 10² ft C) 18.8 mm D) 33.8 ft E) 76.0 cm

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Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The pressure exerted by a column of fluid is given by $P = h \cdot \rho \cdot g$, where $P$ is the pressure, $h$ is the height of the fluid column, $\rho$ is the density of the fluid, and $g$ is the acceleration due to gravity. Since the pressure is constant, we can set the pressures equal for mercury and water to find the height of the water column that would exert the same pressure as a 256 mm column of mercury. Given the density of mercury is 13.6 times that of water, the height of the water column will be 13.6 times 256 mm, or 3488 mm, which is 348 cm.

A Pressure That Will Support a Column of Hg to a Height