- #1
samsara15
- 17
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Years ago, I went to an Iron mine in Minnesota, and we took an elevator half a mile underground. Why wasn’t the air pressure down there stiffling?
Air pressure is the force exerted by the weight of air molecules in the Earth's atmosphere. It is measured in units of pressure, such as pounds per square inch (psi) or pascals (Pa).
The deeper you go beneath the Earth's surface, the more air molecules there are above you, so the air pressure increases. This is because the weight of the air above you increases with depth.
At half a mile underground, the air pressure is approximately double what it is at the Earth's surface. This means that there are twice as many air molecules pressing down on you compared to at the surface.
Air pressure can be measured using instruments such as barometers, which use the weight of a column of liquid to indicate air pressure. In order to measure air pressure half a mile underground, specialized equipment and techniques may be required.
The increased air pressure half a mile underground can have various effects on the human body, such as difficulty breathing and changes in ear pressure. It can also impact the behavior of fluids and gases, and may affect the structural integrity of underground structures.