After the "Air Pressure" lecture and readings you should be able to answer and discuss the following questions.

What is the force that keeps a "suction cup" on a glass window?

What is suction?

What is a vacuum?

What is pressure?

What is air pressure?

What is being measured when an air pressure is determined?

Why do we not feel the weight of the atmosphere on the top of our head?

Name, and describe how they function, the devices that are used to measure air pressure.

Which kind of barometer was the first to be invented? Who invented it?

Why is mercury used instead of a much more common material like water?

What are the standards of measure used to measure air pressure?

What is meant by normal pressure variation?

How does air pressure and air density change with increaseing altitude?

Why does air pressure change with increasing altitude?

What is elevation compensation, and why is this important in weather reporting?

Describe what is meant by a pressure gradient on the Earth's surface.

What atmospheric effect is the result of pressure gradients?

What is an isobar?

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