Mariana Trench: Understanding the Pressure at the Deepest Point on Earth

What is the pressure of sea water at the bottom of the Mariana Trench?

Given the depth of water inside the Mariana Trench is 12km and the density of sea water is 1050 kg per meter cube, determine the pressure of sea water at the bottom of the trench.

Answer:

The pressure of sea water at the bottom of the Mariana Trench is calculated to be 123202.2 kilopascals.

The pressure at a certain depth under water can be calculated using the formula: P = ρgh, where P is the pressure, ρ is the density of the fluid, g is the gravity, and h is the height or depth.

In this case, the depth of the Mariana Trench is 12,000 meters, the gravity on Earth is approximately 9.81 m/s², and the density of seawater is 1050 kg/m³. By substituting these values into the formula: P = 1050 kg/m³ * 9.81 m/s² * 12,000 m = 123202200 pascals or 123202.2 kilopascals. This calculation gives us the ocean pressure at the bottom of the Mariana Trench. It's important to note that the pressure at the bottom of the trench is about 1000 times greater than the atmospheric pressure at sea level.