Chronology Current Month Current Thread Current Date
[Year List] [Month List (current year)] [Date Index] [Thread Index] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Date Prev] [Date Next]

Re: [Phys-L] Hydrostatics question



Note that they are using a specific gravity of quicksilver of 14. I don't know if that is "rounded" or was the accepted precision value in 1798. If I use 13.6 (modern typical "calculator" usage), I get a 2.323... about 2.5% diff, about 1.5 mm different from the 1799 answer.

It's a good opportunity to explain how mercury barometers work, practice conversion factors, etc.

-----Original Message-----
From: Phys-l [mailto:phys-l-bounces@phys-l.org] On Behalf Of John Denker
Sent: Sunday, July 21, 2013 6:15 PM
To: Phys-L@Phys-L.org
Subject: Re: [Phys-L] Hydrostatics question

On 07/21/2013 03:27 PM, Peter Schoch wrote:
1. What is the "modern" law/principle that gives: "...the spaces
occupied by the same quantity of air, are reciprocally as the
compressing forces..."

Ideal gas law. PV = NkT

As a corollary,
P1 V2
---- = ----
P2 V1

at fixed N and T.
_______________________________________________
Forum for Physics Educators
Phys-l@phys-l.org
http://www.phys-l.org/mailman/listinfo/phys-l