Altimeter Question?

Question

I have a barometric altimeter in my hand with it's static source connected to a 500ft long open ended hose at sea level. I then step into a hot air ballon and ascend to 500ft, what will the altimeter read????

There is a correct answer but this one always causes a good debate!

Answer 1

It will read 500ft;  The denser air in the hose will be displaced as the balloon rises.

Had you blocked the end of the pipe, then it would have remained at 0 ft.

Answer 2

500.  Barometric works on air pressure pushing on a spring.  Even though the end is at ground level and would read sea level.  The end attached to the guage is at 500.  Gravity will pull the air in the hose down and a lower pressure found at the higher end.  Just like a hose lowered into sea water.  The water doesn't bubble out the top.

Using the other argument. If you ran a hose from the ground to space, we would loose all our air because the ground pressure would push it up the hose and into space.

You have been sucking on a straw too much.

Answer 3

500ft. No debate...

Answer 4

It will display altitude of the aneroid cell in the instrument.

Answer 5

It will read 500 ft.

Answer 6

your barometer should read 0ft!

xx

Answer 7

Hoses aside, what is the altimeter set to? Are we to assume is it set to local sea level pressure?

Answer 8

It will read 500 ft.

You said the hose will be open ended.

Therefore, as you rise into the air, the air inside the hose will leak or fall out of the hose because as the air inside the hose rises, it increases pressure-wise, because the air particles are now sitting on top of each other instead of next to each other as they are in a coiled up hose on the ground.

Think what happens when you have a straw in a sink full of water. When the straw is sitting flat at the bottom of the sink, it's completely filled with water. If you pull the straw upwards out of the water, the water will fall out the bottom.

Answer 9

It will read 500'