Puzzles on Toricelli Barometer

🌡️ Torricelli's Barometer – The Air That Pushes!

Long ago, people believed that "nature hates a vacuum." But one curious scientist, Evangelista Torricelli, wasn’t convinced.

He filled a glass tube completely with mercury, sealed one end, and turned it upside down into a dish of mercury. Some mercury stayed up in the tube—how?

Torricelli had an idea: “It’s not nature… it’s the air pushing down!”

This was the first **barometer**—a tool to measure atmospheric pressure. He proved that the **weight of air** keeps mercury suspended. This brilliant idea changed the way we measure pressure and weather!

🔍 Puzzle 1:

Who invented the first barometer using mercury?

Evangelista Torricelli

🔍 Puzzle 2:

Why does mercury stay up in the barometer tube when inverted into a dish?

Because atmospheric pressure pushes down on the mercury in the dish.

🔍 Puzzle 3:

What is the name of the empty space above mercury in the barometer tube?

Torricellian vacuum

🔍 Puzzle 4:

What liquid did Torricelli use in his barometer?

Mercury

🔍 Puzzle 5:

What is the normal height of mercury in a Torricelli barometer at sea level?

76 cm or 760 mm of mercury (Hg)

🔍 Puzzle 6:

What does the height of mercury in the barometer indicate?

It indicates the atmospheric pressure.

🔍 Puzzle 7:

If the mercury level falls, what does it say about the atmospheric pressure?

Atmospheric pressure has decreased.

🔍 Puzzle 8:

What is the SI unit of pressure?

pascal (Pa)

🔍 Puzzle 9:

Why is mercury preferred over water in barometers?

Because mercury is denser, the column height is shorter and more convenient.

🔍 Puzzle 10:

What pushes the mercury up the tube in a Torricelli barometer?

The atmospheric pressure on the mercury in the dish.

💬 Torricelli changed science with just a tube and an idea! What did you learn from his experiment? Share your thoughts below! 👇