Which instrument is used to measure air pressure?

Which instrument is used to measure air pressure?

• A. Barometer
• B. Hygrometer
• C. Thermometer
• D. Anemometer

Answer: (A)

Measuring air pressure is about gauging the force the air around us exerts on surfaces. The instrument designed for this is the barometer. A mercury barometer works by having air pressure push on a pool of mercury, driving the mercury column up a glass tube; how high that column rises reflects the atmospheric pressure. Aneroid barometers achieve the same idea with a sealed, flexible metal chamber that changes shape under pressure and moves a needle on a dial to show the pressure. These readings are commonly given in units like millibars or kilopascals and are a key part of weather forecasting, since changes in air pressure help indicate upcoming weather patterns. The other instruments measure different things: a hygrometer measures humidity, a thermometer measures temperature, and an anemometer measures wind speed. So the instrument that measures air pressure is the barometer.

Measuring air pressure is about gauging the force the air around us exerts on surfaces. The instrument designed for this is the barometer. A mercury barometer works by having air pressure push on a pool of mercury, driving the mercury column up a glass tube; how high that column rises reflects the atmospheric pressure. Aneroid barometers achieve the same idea with a sealed, flexible metal chamber that changes shape under pressure and moves a needle on a dial to show the pressure. These readings are commonly given in units like millibars or kilopascals and are a key part of weather forecasting, since changes in air pressure help indicate upcoming weather patterns. The other instruments measure different things: a hygrometer measures humidity, a thermometer measures temperature, and an anemometer measures wind speed. So the instrument that measures air pressure is the barometer.