17. Consider a 1000 meter high column of air sitting next to an identically-shaped 1000 m high column of liquid water.

a. Which container will have the highest fluid pressure at the bottom of the column of fluid, or will they be the same? Explain your answer. (NOTE: The fluid pressure is water pressure in the water column and air pressure in the air column).

b. Exactly halfway up the column of air (500 m above the bottom and 500 m below the top), would you expect the air pressure to be exactly half of what it is at the 7 bottom, more than half as much as it is at the bottom, or less than half as much as it is at the bottom? Explain your answer. Include important differences between air and water.