Pressure, Atmospheric Pressure, Blood Pressure, Humidity Flashcards
Pressure
The magnitude of a force acting perpendicularly on a surface divided by the area of that surface
U-tube manometer
A device which measures fluid pressure by the height of a liquid column
Differential pressure devices
Measure one input pressure relative to another
Open manometers
U-tube manometers in which the pressure of a gas is measured against the atmospheric pressure
Atmospheric pressure
The force exerted by the weight of the Earth’s atmosphere per unit cross-sectional area
Barometer
Instruments used to measure the pressure of the atmosphere
Pulse
A rhythmic throbbing of the arteries as blood is propelled through them
Systolic pressure
The peak pressure produced by the ventricular contraction
Diastolic pressure
The minimum pressure maintained by the elastic vessel walls
Palpation
Simple method for assessing systolic blood pressure
Humidity
The moisture of air due to water vapour
Vapour
Gas phase of a substance (which is usually a liquid at ambient temperature and pressure)
Absolute humidity (absolute vapour density)
The amount of water vapour per unit volume of air at a given temperature
Maximum absolute humidity (saturation vapour density)
The amount of water vapour required to saturate a given volume of air at a given temperature
Relative humidity
The ratio of the absolute to the maximum absolute humans
