A local weather station reports the barometric pressure as 29.5 inHg (inches of Hg). Convert this pressure to torr and to atm.

Verified step by step guidance

1. Start by understanding the conversion factors: 1 inch of Hg is equivalent to 25.4 mm of Hg, and 1 mm of Hg is equal to 1 torr.
2. Convert the given pressure from inches of Hg to mm of Hg using the conversion factor: $29.5\text{ inHg}\times 25.4\text{ mm/in}$.
3. Now that you have the pressure in mm of Hg, recognize that this value is numerically equal to the pressure in torr, since 1 mm of Hg = 1 torr.
4. Next, convert the pressure from torr to atm using the conversion factor: 1 atm = 760 torr. Use the formula: $\text{Pressure in atm}=\frac{\text{Pressure in torr}}{760}$.
5. Ensure all units are consistent and check your calculations to verify the conversions are correct.

Key Concepts

Barometric Pressure

Barometric pressure is the pressure exerted by the weight of the atmosphere at a given point. It is commonly measured in units such as inches of mercury (inHg), torr, and atmospheres (atm). Understanding barometric pressure is essential for weather forecasting and studying atmospheric conditions.

Unit Conversion

Unit conversion is the process of converting a quantity expressed in one set of units to another. In this context, converting barometric pressure from inches of mercury to torr and atmospheres requires knowledge of the relationships between these units, specifically that 1 inHg is approximately equal to 25.4 torr and 1 atm is equal to 29.92 inHg.

Torr and Atmosphere

Torr and atmosphere (atm) are both units of pressure. The torr is defined as 1/760 of an atmosphere, making it a convenient unit for measuring low pressures. An atmosphere is a standard unit of pressure defined as the average atmospheric pressure at sea level, which is approximately 101.3 kPa or 760 torr.