at the base
Air pressure on earth results from the earth's gravitational pull on the earth's atmosphere. In some sense, pressure results from the weight of the air above the point at which one measures pressure. At higher altitudes, there is less air above, resulting in less weight, which translates into pressure.
The larger of the two numbers in a blood pressure reading is the "systolic" reading. The lower number is the "diastolic." The systolic reading measures how hard the heart pumps when it contracts; whereas the diastolic reads the pressure when the heart relaxes.
A sphygmomanometer is a device which measures blood pressure. It works by reading both the systolic, which is the peak pressure as the heart contracts, and diastolic, which is the lowest pressure as the heart relaxes.
Gauge pressure is what you get when you take the reading from your tire pressure gauge. Absolute pressure is the pressure inside your tires plus the atmospheric pressure, which is roughly; 14.7 psi, 101.3 kPa (kilo-Pascals), or one atmosphere. Absolute pressure measures all of the pressure on your tires, inside and out, whereas gauge simply measures the pressure inside the tire.
As you decrease in altitude, the reading of a barometer will increase. This is because atmospheric pressure is higher at lower elevations due to the greater weight of the air above. Consequently, a barometer measures this increased pressure, resulting in a higher reading as you descend.
When a gauge manifold is opened to the atmosphere, the reading should indicate a pressure of zero psi (or gauge pressure), assuming the gauge is calibrated correctly. This is because the gauge measures the pressure relative to atmospheric pressure, and when exposed to the atmosphere, there should be no differential pressure. If the reading does not indicate zero, it may suggest a malfunction or calibration issue with the gauge.
PSIG, or pounds per square inch gauge, measures pressure relative to atmospheric pressure. To calculate PSIG, you start with the absolute pressure reading (in PSIA) and subtract the atmospheric pressure (usually around 14.7 psi at sea level). The formula is: PSIG = PSIA - Atmospheric Pressure. If you have a pressure gauge that directly measures PSIG, it provides the gauge pressure without the need for calculations.
A pressure gauge measures pressure in a system relative to atmospheric pressure, displaying the reading in units such as psi or bar. A manometer measures pressure by balancing the weight of a liquid with the pressure being measured, often displaying pressure differentials in terms of inches or millimeters of the liquid column. In summary, a pressure gauge gives absolute pressure readings, while a manometer measures pressure differentials.
A bourdon gauge measures fluid pressure in a system by using a curved tube that straightens in response to increased pressure. This straightening movement is typically converted into a mechanical reading on a dial, indicating the pressure level in the system.
The highest reading on a typical thermometer is typically 100 degrees Celsius or 212 degrees Fahrenheit, which represents the boiling point of water at standard atmospheric pressure. Some specialized thermometers can measure higher temperatures depending on their design and purpose.
A blood pressure reading consists of two numbers: systolic pressure (the top number) and diastolic pressure (the bottom number). The systolic pressure measures the pressure in the arteries when the heart beats, while the diastolic pressure measures the pressure in the arteries when the heart is at rest between beats. The third number, if present, is the pulse pressure, calculated by subtracting the diastolic pressure from the systolic pressure. This number gives an indication of the force the heart generates with each contraction.
An ionization gauge pressure sensor measures the pressure of a gas by determining the number of gas ions present in a vacuum chamber. As gas pressure increases, more gas ions are formed through ionization, which the sensor can detect and convert into a pressure reading.