Atmosphere and Air Pressure

What is Atmosphere and Air Pressure?

Within Geography, which covers maps, landforms, weather, climate, population and settlements: understand how our planet and people connect, this topic explains Atmosphere and Air Pressure. Geography explains how places, people and natural processes connect, so each topic here combines a clear definition with a visual model.

Check that you can explain Atmosphere and Air Pressure in your own words and give one example from everyday life. If you can do that, you have understood the core idea.

Understanding Atmosphere and Air Pressure helps you explain patterns on maps and in the news, and make reasoned decisions about places and environments.

Atmosphere and Air Pressure in detail

The atmosphere is the layer of gases around the Earth, mostly nitrogen (78%) and oxygen (21%). It is divided into layers, and the troposphere, the lowest, contains most weather. The atmosphere absorbs harmful radiation and traps heat.

Air pressure is the weight of air above, measured in millibars or hectopascals, and averages about 1013 mb at sea level. Warm air rises, causing low pressure and cloud, and cool air sinks, causing high pressure and clear skies. Air moves from high to low pressure, creating wind, and pressure falls with altitude.

How the interactive helps you understand Atmosphere and Air Pressure

Watch the Earth model in the interactive. Use any sliders or buttons it offers to change the values and see how the Earth model responds.

Before you change anything, predict the result. Then change one value at a time and check whether your prediction was right. This is a quick way to build a correct mental model of Atmosphere and Air Pressure.

Real-life uses and examples

• Explain how Atmosphere and Air Pressure affects people, jobs and land use in a region.
• Support an answer about Atmosphere and Air Pressure with a named case study and specific evidence.
• Interpret a graph or map that shows Atmosphere and Air Pressure and say what it suggests.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Mixing up cause, effect and consequence when you explain Atmosphere and Air Pressure.
• Writing general statements without a named place or example.
• Learning the definition without testing it. Use the quiz and the interactive to check that you can apply the idea.