How do you mine mercury?

If a barometer reads 88cm of mercury inside a mine,find the depth of the mine with respect to sea level?

• Answer:

  1atm = 76cm Hg additional pressure = 88-76 = 12cm Hg Density of air = 1.2 kg/m^3 Density of Hg = 13,534 kg/m^3 Depth of mine = 12 * 13534/1.2 = 135340 cm = 1353.4 m You could get a better answer if you were to correct for the variation of air density with depth. Since the air will get denser as you go down the mine, the depth will be somewhat less.