Conceptual Physics (12th Edition)

Published by Addison-Wesley
ISBN 10: 0321909100
ISBN 13: 978-0-32190-910-7

Chapter 14 - Think and Explain - Page 279-281: 57

Answer

Air is compressible, unlike water. Boyle's law tells us its density is proportional to its pressure (at a fixed temperature). Down low, where the pressure is greater, air density is relatively high. In our model this corresponds to foam bricks that are squashed a lot and whose density is relatively high. At high altitude, where the pressure is less, the air’s density is less. In our model this corresponds to foam bricks that are not as squashed.
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