GATE ME 2020 Set 2 — Question 25
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Fluid Mechanics → Fluid Properties & Statics → Pressure in Static Fluids
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Question
In the space above the mercury column in a barometer tube, the gauge pressure of the vapour is
Correct answer
(B) negative
Solution
Gauge pressure is defined as the difference between the absolute pressure and the local atmospheric pressure:In a mercury barometer, the space above the mercury column is known as the Torricellian vacuum. It contains mercury vapour at its saturation vapour pressure. At room temperature, the absolute vapour pressure of mercury is extremely low (nearly zero). Since the absolute pressure in that space () is much less than the atmospheric pressure (), the gauge pressure is:Thus, the gauge pressure is negative.
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