Question

The air pressure inside our body is equal to the:
A: Internal pressure
B: Atmospheric pressure
C: Both A and B
D: None of the above

Answer 1

Hint : According to physics, atmospheric pressure is the measure of the absolute pressure and due to the weight of the air molecules above a particular height or above sea level, it increases with decreasing height and decreases with increasing height. This fact is to be kept in mind while solving the given question. Also, the balance of pressure between the system and its surrounding plays an important role in survival of human life.

Complete Step By Step Answer:
Atmospheric pressure is continuously applied on our body. Or we can say that the air exerts force on us. This doesn’t cause harm to the human body because this leads to a state of equilibrium. This pressure causes a maintenance in the gas levels within our body and all the metabolic activities are balanced. Hence, there is neither a minimum pressure nor a maximum pressure that acts on the human body due to the equilibrium. The equilibrium implies that the air pressure inside our body is equal to the atmospheric pressure. Had this been not a situation, then our body would have either filled with excess of air or squeezed out completely.
Hence, option (B) is the correct answer among the given four options.

Note :
We know that people usually experience altitude sickness because the atmospheric pressure at higher altitudes exert less pressure. This leads to less gas exchange and causes breathing difficulty and other illnesses. Air pressure changes with the height and as we move up from the surface of the earth, the pressure decreases while as we go down from the surface of the earth, it increases.