The radius of the Earth is 6400 km - AQA - GCSE Physics - Question 6 - 2022 - Paper 1
Question 6
The radius of the Earth is 6400 km.
Which of the following could be an approximate depth of the Earth’s atmosphere?
Tick (✓) one box.
100 km
6400 km
100 000 km
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Worked Solution & Example Answer:The radius of the Earth is 6400 km - AQA - GCSE Physics - Question 6 - 2022 - Paper 1
Step 1
Which of the following could be an approximate depth of the Earth’s atmosphere?
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Answer
The approximate depth of the Earth's atmosphere is 100 km.
Step 2
What state of matter is most of the Earth’s atmosphere?
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Answer
Most of the Earth's atmosphere is in a gaseous state.
Step 3
Determine the atmospheric pressure at the top of Scafell Pike.
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Answer
From Figure 12, the atmospheric pressure at the height of 978 m is approximately 90,000 Pa.
Step 4
Determine the difference between the atmospheric pressure at sea level and at the top of Scafell Pike.
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Answer
The difference in atmospheric pressure is calculated as follows: 101,000 Pa (sea level) - 90,000 Pa (Scafell Pike) = 11,000 Pa.
Step 5
Why does the atmospheric pressure decrease as the student climbs higher?
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Answer
The atmospheric pressure decreases because:
The density of the air decreases.
The mass of air above the student decreases.
Step 6
Calculate the atmospheric pressure at the surface of the lake.
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Answer
Using the equation for pressure:
pressure=areaforce, we calculate:
pressure=2000m2188,000,000N=94,000Pa.
