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Ch.10 - Gases: Their Properties & Behavior
Chapter 10, Problem 38

Atmospheric pressure at the top of Pikes Peak in Colorado is approximately 480 mm Hg. Convert this value to atmospheres and to pascals.

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Pressure Units

Pressure is a measure of force applied per unit area. Common units for pressure include millimeters of mercury (mm Hg), atmospheres (atm), and pascals (Pa). Understanding how to convert between these units is essential for solving problems related to pressure in different contexts.
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Conversion Factors

Conversion factors are numerical values used to convert one unit of measurement to another. For pressure, the conversion from mm Hg to atm is based on the fact that 1 atm is equivalent to 760 mm Hg. Similarly, to convert mm Hg to pascals, the conversion factor is that 1 mm Hg equals approximately 133.322 Pa.
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Atmospheric Pressure

Atmospheric pressure is the pressure exerted by the weight of the atmosphere above a given point. It varies with altitude; at sea level, it is defined as 1 atm (760 mm Hg). At higher altitudes, such as Pikes Peak, the atmospheric pressure decreases, which is important for understanding how pressure changes with elevation.
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