The plastic bottle was sealed at an altitude of 14,000 feet and crushed when it reached 9,000 feet, indicating that atmospheric pressure is higher at lower altitudes and lower at higher altitudes. Atmospheric pressure decreases with increasing altitude because there is less air and oxygen above ground level, so places at sea level have higher pressure than places at higher elevations.

1. Block 4 – Lesson 3

2. What happened to the bottle?

3. This plastic bottle was sealed at approximately 14,000
feet (4,300 m) altitude, and was crushed by the increase
in atmospheric pressure —at 9,000 feet .

4. Considering this information, where is atmospheric
pressure higher?
a) In the highland
b) In the coast

5. Considering this information, where is atmospheric
pressure higher?
a) In the highland
b) In the coast

7. Atmospheric pressure is caused by the forces of
attraction between the Earth’s mass and the air
mass. It is measured in millibars with a
barometer.

9. Atmospheric
pressure has
some variations,
for example, the
higher the place,
the lower the
pressure, as there
is less oxygen
higher up.

11. Another variation has to do with temperature. When it
is hot, the gases expand and take up more space.
When it is cold, air contracts, and the same space is
taken up by a greater amount of gases.

13. Thus, in high places there is less pressure and less
temperature, but at sea level the pressure and
temperature are higher.

15. It is a measurement that
refers to the notions of
cold and heat. It was a
long process to develop
temperature measuring
techniques, until the
invention of the
thermometer. The scale
most commonly used is
Celsius.
Celsius = Centigrade
0o C = 32 o Fahrenheit.

17. It is the natural movement of
the air produced in the
troposphere. It is also a
source of energy. Wind is
caused by the Earth’s
rotation and revolution, and
by considerable differences
in solar radiation. Wind
speed and direction are
measured with an
anemometer.

18. Did you know that a
hygrometer is an
instrument used for
measuring the
moisture content in
the atmosphere?