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The density altitude is the altitude relative to standard atmospheric conditions at which the air density would be equal to the indicated air density at the place of observation. In other words, the density altitude is the air density given as a height above mean sea level .
For this reason, this model may also be called barotropic (density depends only on pressure). For the isothermal-barotropic model, density and pressure turn out to be exponential functions of altitude. The increase in altitude necessary for P or ρ to drop to 1/e of its initial value is called the scale height:
"Density altitude is a measure of air density, expressed as the altitude that corresponds to a given air density under standard atmospheric conditions." As with air density, air pressure, temperature, humidity, etc., we can then talk about the density altitude observed at a given place and time, but places and times of observation aren't part ...
Since the atmosphere at a height of approximately 5.5 kilometres (3.4 mi) is mostly divergence-free, the barotropic model best approximates the state of the atmosphere at a geopotential height corresponding to that altitude, which corresponds to the atmosphere's 500 mb (15 inHg) pressure surface. [6]
Geopotential height differs from geometric height (as given by a tape measure) because Earth's gravity is not constant, varying markedly with altitude and latitude; thus, a 1-m geopotential height difference implies a different vertical distance in physical space: "the unit-mass must be lifted higher at the equator than at the pole, if the same ...
The density of air at sea level is about 1.2 kg/m 3 (1.2 g/L, 0.0012 g/cm 3). Density is not measured directly but is calculated from measurements of temperature, pressure and humidity using the equation of state for air (a form of the ideal gas law). Atmospheric density decreases as the altitude increases.
For example, a temperature deviation of +8 °C means that the air at any given altitude is 8 °C (14 °F) warmer than what standard day conditions and the measurement altitude would predict, and would indicate a higher density altitude. These variations are extremely important to both meteorologists and aviators, as they strongly determine the ...
Aviators gauge air density by calculating the density altitude. [1] An airport may be especially hot or high, without the other condition being present. Temperature and pressure altitude can change from one hour to the next. The fact that temperature generally decreases as altitude increases mitigates the "hot and high" effect to a small extent.