A pressure sensor is lowered down a deep ventilation shaft that is open to the atmosphere. The atmospheric pressure reading is greater at the bottom of the shaft than at the top. Which statement explains why?
The bottom of the shaft is further from space, so less air escapes from around the sensor.
The air is denser at the bottom, so more air molecules collide with the sensor each second.
Pressure in air acts only downwards, so pressure from higher in the shaft accumulates at the bottom.
Air molecules settle at the bottom and stop moving, so their weight remains on the sensor.
108 exam-style questions on AQA GCSE Physics 5.5 Pressure and pressure differences in fluids, covering 5.5.1 Pressure in a fluid and 5.5.2 Atmospheric pressure. Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.