At sea level, a mercury column will rise a distance of 760 mm. This atmospheric pressure is reported as 760 mmHg (millimeters of mercury). At higher altitudes, the atmospheric pressure is decreased and so the column of mercury will not rise as high. On the summit of Mt. Everest (elevation of 8848 m), the air pressure is 253 mmHg. Atmospheric pressure is slightly dependent on weather conditions. From the graph we can see the decrease in atmospheric pressure as the altitude increases. At sea level, the atmospheric pressure would be a little over 100 kPa (one atmosphere or 760 mm Hg). If we climb to the top of Mount Everest (the highest mountain in the world at 29,029 feet or 8848 meters), the atmospheric pressure will drop to slightly over 30 kPa (about 0.30 atmospheres or 228 mm Hg). This marked decrease in atmospheric pressure results in much lower levels of oxygen. Teams that climb this mountain must bring supplies of oxygen with them in order to breathe at these high altitudes.
Danny is taking a team of hikers on a mountain climb. He has a choice between two mountains, Mount Everest and Mount Kamet. He knows Mount Everest is higher than Mount Kamet, and he is trying to determine the atmospheric pressure of each mountain in order to determine how much of an oxygen supply the hikers must bring.
Which mountain will have a higher atmospheric pressure?