• Question: Why is air pressure equal in all directions?

    Asked by Zosia66 to Camilla on 24 Jun 2015.
    • Photo: Camilla Weiss

      Camilla Weiss answered on 24 Jun 2015:


      This question made me think, thanks Zosia! Even though it might sounds odd air has a weight and air pressure is the force created by this weight pressing down on the Earth due to gravity. The more air above a surface the greater the pressure so actually air pressure decreases as you go higher in the atmosphere until you get to space where there is almost no air pressure at all. You also get local changes in pressure caused by weather, temperatue etc. So when you listen to the weather they’ll talk about high and low pressure weather fronts which basically give you an indication of what the weather will be like – cold and blustery or warm and calm.

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