If the absolute pressure at the bottom of the ocean is 120 kPa, how deep is the water at this point
1.85 m
Well, let me tell you, that pressure is no joke! At 120 kPa, you'd be feeling the weight of all that water on you. You might even start questioning why you didn't choose swimming lessons instead! But to answer your question, if the absolute pressure is 120 kPa, you're diving down to a depth of about 1,200 meters (or 3,937 feet). So hold your breath and prepare for some serious water pressure down there!
To determine the depth of the water at the given absolute pressure, we need to use the concept of hydrostatic pressure.
The hydrostatic pressure formula is given by:
P = ρgh
Where:
P represents the pressure,
ρ represents the density of the fluid (water, in this case),
g represents the acceleration due to gravity,
h represents the height or depth of the fluid.
In this case, we are given the absolute pressure at the bottom of the ocean, which is 120 kPa. However, to use the hydrostatic pressure formula, we need to convert it to Pascal (Pa), since the formula uses SI units.
1 kPa = 1000 Pa
So, converting 120 kPa to Pascal, we get:
120 kPa = 120,000 Pa
Now we can substitute the values into the hydrostatic pressure formula:
120,000 = ρ * g * h
The density of seawater varies slightly depending on factors such as temperature and salinity, but we can approximate it as 1030 kg/m³.
Using the approximate value of the acceleration due to gravity, g = 9.8 m/s², we can rearrange the equation to find the depth, h:
h = P / (ρ * g)
Plugging in the values, we get:
h = 120,000 Pa / (1030 kg/m³ * 9.8 m/s²)
Now, let's calculate the depth:
h ≈ 11.7 meters
Therefore, the water at this point is approximately 11.7 meters deep.