What is the Total Mass of Earth's Atmosphere?

[lmannoia]

Homework Statement

The Mass of an Atmosphere: What is the total mass of Earth's atmosphere? You may use the fact that 1 bar is the pressure exerted by about 10,000kg pushing down on a square meter in Earth's gravity. Remember that every square meter of Earth experiences this pressure from the atmosphere above it.

Homework Equations

V for a sphere = 4(pi)R^2
Mass = density x volume

The Attempt at a Solution

I know that the Earth's atmosphere is approximately 10 km thick. What I don't know is how to go about figuring out the density of the atmosphere by using pressure and the fact that every square meter of Earth experiences this pressure from the atmosphere above it.
Any push in the right direction would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

 

[Chi Meson]

It's a lot easier than the route you are taking.

The problem already states that for every square meter of Earth's surface, there is the weight of 10,000kg of atmosphere above it.

So, what is measured in units of "kg"?

[And you should know that "1 bar" is almost exactly "1 atm." Standard atmospheric pressure is actually more closely 1.013 bar]

 

[lmannoia]

Oh wow, that went completely over my head. Thank you!

 

[Chi Meson]

Oh wow, that went completely over my head.

like the atmosphere