Table I. is calculated from the formula, height in feet = 60,200 (log. 29·922 - log. B) + 925; where 29·922 is the mean atmospheric pressure at 32° F., and the mean sea-level in latitude 45°; and B is any other barometric pressure; the 925 being added to avoid minus signs in the Table.
Table II. contains the correction necessary for the mean temperature of the stratum of air between the stations of observation; and is computed from Regnault’s co-efficient for the expansion of air, which is ·002036 of its volume at 32° for each degree above that temperature.
Table III. is the correction due to the difference of gravitation in any other latitude, and is found from the formula, x = 1 + ·00265 cos. 2 lat.
Table IV. is to correct for the diminution of gravity in ascending from the sea-level.
To use these Tables: The barometer readings at the upper and lower stations having been corrected and reduced to temperature 32° F., take out from Table I. the numbers opposite the corrected readings, and subtract the lower from the upper. Multiply this difference successively by the factors found in Tables II. and III. The factor from Table III. may be neglected unless precision is desired. Finally, add the correction taken from Table IV.
Table I.
Approximate Height due to Barometric Pressure.
Inches. | Feet. | Inches. | Feet. | Inches. | Feet. |
31·0 | 0 | 28·2 | 2475 | 25·4 | 5209 |
30·9 | 84 | ·1 | 2568 | ·3 | 5312 |
·8 | 169 | 28·0 | 2661 | ·2 | 5415 |
·7 | 254 | 27·9 | 2754 | ·1 | 5519 |
·6 | 339 | ·8 | 2848 | 25·0 | 5623 |
·5 | 425 | ·7 | 2942 | 24·9 | 5728 |
·4 | 511 | ·6 | 3037 | ·8 | 5833 |
·3 | 597 | ·5 | 3132 | ·7 | 5939 |
·2 | 683 | ·4 | 3227 | ·6 | 6045 |
·1 | 770 | ·3 | 3323 | ·5 | 6152 |
30·0 | 857 | ·2 | 3419 | ·4 | 6259 |
29·9 | 944 | ·1 | 3515 | ·3 | 6366 |
·8 | 1032 | 27·0 | 3612 | ·2 | 6474 |
·7 | 1120 | 26·9 | 3709 | ·1 | 6582 |
·6 | 1208 | ·8 | 3806 | 24·0 | 6691 |
·5 | 1296 | ·7 | 3904 | 23·9 | 6800 |
·4 | 1385 | ·6 | 4002 | ·8 | 6910 |
·3 | 1474 | ·5 | 4100 | ·7 | 7020 |
·2 | 1563 | ·4 | 4199 | ·6 | 7131 |
·1 | 1653 | ·3 | 4298 | ·5 | 7242 |
29·0 | 1743 | ·2 | 4398 | ·4 | 7353 |
28·9 | 1833 | ·1 | 4498 | ·3 | 7465 |
·8 | 1924 | 26·0 | 4598 | ·2 | 7577 |
·7 | 2015 | 25·9 | 4699 | ·1 | 7690 |
·6 | 2106 | ·8 | 4800 | 23·0 | 7803 |
·5 | 2198 | ·7 | 4902 | 22·9 | 7917 |
·4 | 2290 | ·6 | 5004 | ·8 | 8032 |
·3 | 2382 | ·5 | 5106 | ·7 | 8147 |
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Table I.—continued.
Approximate Height due to Barometric Pressure.
Inches. | Feet. | Inches. | Feet. | Inches. | Feet. |
22·6 | 8262 | 18·9 | 12937 | 15·2 | 18632 |
·5 | 8378 | ·8 | 13076 | ·1 | 18805 |
·4 | 8495 | ·7 | 13215 | 15·0 | 18979 |
·3 | 8612 | ·6 | 13355 | 14·9 | 19154 |
·2 | 8729 | ·5 | 13496 | ·8 | 19330 |
·1 | 8847 | ·4 | 13638 | ·7 | 19507 |
22·0 | 8966 | ·3 | 13780 | ·6 | 19685 |
21·9 | 9085 | ·2 | 13923 | ·5 | 19865 |
·8 | 9205 | ·1 | 14067 | ·4 | 20046 |
·7 | 9325 | 18·0 | 14212 | ·3 | 20228 |
·6 | 9446 | 17·9 | 14358 | ·2 | 20412 |
·5 | 9567 | ·8 | 14505 | ·1 | 20597 |
·4 | 9689 | ·7 | 14652 | 14·0 | 20783 |
·3 | 9811 | ·6 | 14800 | 13·9 | 20970 |
·2 | 9934 | ·5 | 14949 | ·8 | 21159 |
·1 | 10058 | ·4 | 15099 | ·7 | 21349 |
21·0 | 10182 | ·3 | 15250 | ·6 | 21541 |
20·9 | 10307 | ·2 | 15402 | ·5 | 21734 |
·8 | 10432 | ·1 | 15554 | ·4 | 21928 |
·7 | 10558 | 17·0 | 15707 | ·3 | 22124 |
·6 | 10684 | 16·9 | 15861 | ·2 | 22321 |
·5 | 10812 | ·8 | 16016 | ·1 | 22520 |
·4 | 10940 | ·7 | 16172 | 13·0 | 22720 |
·3 | 11069 | ·6 | 16329 | 12·9 | 22922 |
·2 | 11198 | ·5 | 16487 | ·8 | 23126 |
·1 | 11328 | ·4 | 16646 | ·7 | 23331 |
20·0 | 11458 | ·3 | 16806 | ·6 | 23538 |
19·9 | 11589 | ·2 | 16967 | ·5 | 23746 |
·8 | 11721 | ·1 | 17129 | ·4 | 23956 |
·7 | 11853 | 16·0 | 17292 | ·3 | 24168 |
·6 | 11986 | 15·9 | 17456 | ·2 | 24381 |
·5 | 12120 | ·8 | 17621 | ·1 | 24596 |
·4 | 12254 | ·7 | 17787 | 12·0 | 24813 |
·3 | 12389 | ·6 | 17954 | 11·9 | 25032 |
·2 | 12525 | ·5 | 18122 | ·8 | 25253 |
·1 | 12662 | ·4 | 18291 | ·7 | 25476 |
19·0 | 12799 | ·3 | 18461 | ·6 | 25700 |
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Table II.
Correction due to Mean Temperature of the Air.
Mean Temp. | Factor. | Mean Temp. | Factor. | Mean Temp. | Factor. |
10° | 0·955 | 35° | 1·006 | 60° | 1·057 |
11 | ·957 | 36 | 1·008 | 61 | 1·059 |
12 | ·959 | 37 | 1·010 | 62 | 1·061 |
13 | ·961 | 38 | 1·012 | 63 | 1·063 |
14 | ·963 | 39 | 1·014 | 64 | 1·065 |
15 | ·965 | 40 | 1·016 | 65 | 1·067 |
16 | ·967 | 41 | 1·018 | 66 | 1·069 |
17 | ·969 | 42 | 1·020 | 67 | 1·071 |
18 | ·971 | 43 | 1·022 | 68 | 1·073 |
19 | ·974 | 44 | 1·024 | 69 | 1·075 |
20 | ·976 | 45 | 1·026 | 70 | 1·077 |
21 | ·978 | 46 | 1·029 | 71 | 1·079 |
22 | ·980 | 47 | 1·031 | 72 | 1·081 |
23 | ·982 | 48 | 1·033 | 73 | 1·083 |
24 | ·984 | 49 | 1·035 | 74 | 1·086 |
25 | ·986 | 50 | 1·037 | 75 | 1·088 |
26 | ·988 | 51 | 1·039 | 76 | 1·090 |
27 | ·990 | 52 | 1·041 | 77 | 1·092 |
28 | ·992 | 53 | 1·043 | 78 | 1·094 |
29 | ·994 | 54 | 1·045 | 79 | 1·096 |
30 | ·996 | 55 | 1·047 | 80 | 1·098 |
31 | 0·998 | 56 | 1·049 | 81 | 1·100 |
32 | 1·000 | 57 | 1·051 | 82 | 1·102 |
33 | 1·002 | 58 | 1·053 | 83 | 1·104 |
34 | 1·004 | 59 | 1·055 | 84 | 1·106 |
Table III.
Latitude. | Factor. | Latitude. | Factor. | Latitude. | Factor. |
80° | 0·99751 | 50 | 0·99954 | 20 | 1·00203 |
75 | 0·99770 | 45 | 1·00000 | 15 | 1·00230 |
70 | 0·99797 | 40 | 1·00046 | 10 | 1·00249 |
65 | 0·99830 | 35 | 1·00090 | 5 | 1·00261 |
60 | 0·99868 | 30 | 1·00132 | 0 | 1·00265 |
55 | 0·99910 | 25 | 1·00170 |  |  |
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Table IV.
Height in Thousand Feet. | Correction Additive. | Height in Thousand Feet. | Correction Additive. |
1 | 3 | 14 | 44 |
2 | 5 | 15 | 48 |
3 | 8 | 16 | 52 |
4 | 11 | 17 | 56 |
5 | 14 | 18 | 60 |
6 | 17 | 19 | 65 |
7 | 20 | 20 | 69 |
8 | 23 | 21 | 74 |
9 | 26 | 22 | 78 |
10 | 30 | 23 | 83 |
11 | 33 | 24 | 88 |
12 | 37 | 25 | 93 |
13 | 41 | 26 | 98 |
Example 1. On October 21st, 1852, when Mr. Welsh ascended in a balloon, at 3h. 30m. p.m., the barometer, corrected and reduced, was 18·85, the air temperature 27°, while at Greenwich, 159 feet above the sea, the barometer at the same time was 29·97 inches, air temperature 49°, the balloon not being more than 5 miles S.W. from over Greenwich; required its elevation.
 | Feet. | ||||||
Barometer | in Balloon |   | 18·85, | Table I. | = | 13007 | |
" | at Greenwich |   | 29·97 | " |  | 883 | |
 | 12124 | ||||||
Mean Temperature, 38°, Table II. Factor | 1·012 | ||||||
 | 12269· | ||||||
Latitude 51½°, Factor from Table III. | ·99941 | ||||||
 | 12262 | ||||||
Correction from Table IV. | 38 | ||||||
 | 12300 | ||||||
Elevation of Greenwich | 159 | ||||||
"Balloon | 12459 | feet. |
The following examples, from the balloon ascents of J. Glashier, Esq., F.R.S., will serve for practice.
2. Ascended from Wolverhampton, 18th August, 1862, at 2h. 38m. p.m.; barometer (in all cases corrected and reduced to 32° F) was 14·868, the temperature of the air 26°; at the same time, at Wrottesley Hall, 531 feet above the sea, in latitude 52½° N, the barometer was 29·46, and the temperature of the air 65°·4; find the elevation of the balloon above the sea.
Height, 18,959 feet.
3. From the same place an ascent was made 5th September, 1862, when at 1h. 48m. p.m. barometer was 11·954, air O°; at Wrottesley Hall 29·38, air 56°.
Height, 23,923 feet.
4. From the Crystal Palace a balloon ascent was made 20th August, 1862. At 6h. 47m. p.m. barometer was 25·55, air 50°·5; and at the same time at Greenwich Observatory, at 159 feet above the sea, the barometer was 29·81, air 63°.
Height, 4,406 feet.
5. From the same place an ascent was made 8th September, 1862. At 5 p.m., the balloon being over Blackheath, barometer was 25·60, and the air 49°·5, while at Greenwich, barometer was 29·92, air 66°·4.
Height, 4,461 feet.
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